Karanatka's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party took early leads in the crucial zilla and taluka panchayat elections on Tuesday by emerging victorious in 12 out of the 30 districts in the fray.

The Janata Dal-Secular and the Congress were leading in four zilla (district) panchayats, while 10 districts have thrown up hung results.

In the 176 taluka (sub-district) panchayats, the BJP was ahead in 68, the Congress in 31 and JD-S in 29. While independents managed to back two talukas, a hung verdict was witnessed in 46.         

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, who had said that he would step down if the BJP lost the panchayat polls, expressed satisfaction at the party's showing in the zilla panchayats polls and said the results are beyond the party's expectations. "The results of zilla and taluka panchayat elections have vindicated people's support to our government's development programmes. They have given a befitting reply to the baseless allegations of the opposition and are beyond the party's expectations," he told mediapersons in Bengaluru.

The Karnataka CM said the outcome had proved that BJP is not confined to urban areas, but has a base in rural areas too. Yeddyurappa pointed out that BJP's performance was much better than in 2005, when it won just one zilla panchayat as compared to Congress, which bagged only four panchayats as against 22 in the last election. He said the BJP was confident of gaining control in at least three of the 10 zilla panchayats which have thrown up a fractured verdict, taking its total tally to 15.

Yeddyurappa denied that allegations of corruption and land scams faced by his government had cast a shadow on the saffron party's performance in the panchayat polls. "The results should make opposition Congress and JDS stop levelling charges against the government and allow it to concentrate on development hereafter," he said. He noted that Janata Dal-Secular which made tall claims of performing well had drawn a blank in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikmagalur, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Gadag and Haveri districts. 

"We have achieved considerable success in the local body elections," state BJP president K S Eshwarappa said.

However, Karnataka Pradesh Congress chief G Parameshwara described the results as a "setback" to the BJP. He indicated that Congress might have a post-poll tie-up with JD-S to secure power in zilla and taluka panchayats where no party has gained majority by saying, "We have to come to some decision. We will discuss the issue with senior leaders."

These are the first elections to the local governing councils after the BJP came to power in the state in May 2008.

With inputs from PTI