K'taka urban local body poll campaign ends

Bangalore, Sep 26 (UNI) Campaigning for the September 28 elections to the 209 urban local bodies, including seven city-corporations in Karnataka, ended this morning.

The contest would be triangular in many wards between Congress, Janata Dal (S) and the BJP. Significantly, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), with its candidates in 572 wards, was also emerging as a strong political force in the state.

In majority of wards, the coalition partners - BJP and JD(S) had fielded their candidates besides the Congress. While the JD(S) campaign was led by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and newly appointed state party chief Merajuddin Patel, Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa campaigned for the BJP.

In the 209 urban bodies, 85 candidates, majority of them Independents, were declared elected unopposed. Twenty-two Congress candidates, seven JD(S) and three BJP candidates were also declared elected unopposed.

Elections would be held in Mangalore, Mysore, Belgaum, Gulbarga, Bellary, Hubli-Dharwar and Davanagere city corporations.

UNI