After the drubbing they received in the recently held Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) — coalition government partners who contested the elections to the urban local bodies (ULBs) independently, have put up a better performance than the BJP in Old Mysore region.
Though the BJP has managed to capture power in Gundlupet Town Municipal Council (TMC) in Chamarajanagar district and emerge as the single-largest party in Nanjangud City Municipal Council (CMC) in Mysuru district, the Congress and the JD(S) have gained well in the rest of the ULBs of the region.
While the main reason for the good performance of the Congress and the JD(S) in the region in the ULB polls, held less than a week after the Lok Sabha election results were declared, has been attributed to the popularity of the local leadership and the support enjoyed by the candidates. Leaders of the two parties in the region did not rule out the possibility of the absence of an alliance in the ULB polls having helped them win the confidence of their supporters.