The JD(S) has decided to remain neutral in all urban local bodies (ULB) where the voters have given a fractured verdict, State JD(S) president H D Kumaraswamy told Express on Tuesday.
“Taking into account pros and cons of supporting the Congress and the BJP, the JD(S) has decided to remain neutral. We will neither forge an alliance nor extend outside support to both those parties in ULBs where no political party has got majority,” he said.
Asked whether he would reconsider his decision if local leaders pushed for it, Kumaraswamy firmly said “No”. This decision is seen as an ‘election strategy’ by the JD(S) which wants to keep its image as anti-Congress and anti-BJP to woo the minority, SC/ST and Backward Classes votes.
In the recently held ULB polls, the voters did not give clear mandate to any political party in two of the seven city corporations. Besides, there were number of city municipal councils, town municipal councils and town panchayats which had hung verdict.
Tuesday’s JD(S) decision was likely to impact the Mysore City Corporation and Gulbarge City Corporation where Congress had emerged as single largest party but did not have enough numbers to come to power on its own.
Under this circumstances, Congress has to seek the support of Independents, KJP and BSR Congress in Mysore City Corporation and of Independents, KJP and others in Gulbarga City Corporation.
Parliamentary board meeting
Meanwhile addressing reporters, Kumaraswamy said that the party parliamentary board would finalise the candidates for all the 224 Assembly seats on Wednesday. The first list of candidates for more than 150 Assembly constituencies would be released by March 23.
Ruling out alliance with any party, he said the party would not given tickets to MLAs of ‘Operation Kamala’ did by the BJP two years ago. The party local leaders would take a call on giving tickets to aspiring candidates.