News Elections Lok-sabha-elections-2019 Karnataka: JD-S, Congress to extend alliance to civic bodies

Karnataka: JD-S, Congress to extend alliance to civic bodies

Lok Sabha elections 2019 Image Source : PTI/FILEImage: Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy

To keep the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of power, the ruling Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and the Congress would extend their coalition alliance to the urban local bodies (ULBs) elections across Karnataka, said a JD-S official.

"In the event of either party not getting majority on its own in the ULB elections, we will have post-poll alliance to rule the local bodies as we did to form the coalition government in the state after the May 12 assembly election threw a hung House with a split verdict," the official told IANS on Saturday.

With a record 68 per cent voter turnout, elections to 105 ULBs were held on Friday across the southern state and the counting is on Monday. Results are expected to be declared by Monday night. 

Polling was held in 2,662 civic wards and in all 8,340 candidates are trying their luck. 

Out of 8,340 candidates, 2,306 are from the Congress, 2,203 are from the BJP and 1,397 are from the JD-S. 

The last urban local bodies elections were held in 2013. The Congress had won the maximum number of seats-1,960.

It is pertinent to mention here that Congress and JD-S are planning to form an alliance before the Lok Sabha elections 2019.