MYSURU: With the Mysore City Corporation elections approaching, JDS and Congress leaders got together on Wednesday to hold talks on power-sharing, in order to stop the BJP from bagging the mayor and deputy mayor posts. The Congress and JDS had entered into an agreement in 2018-19, deciding to hold the mayor post on a rotation basis. The Congress staked claim and got candidate Pushpalatha Jaganath elected as mayor. Now, it is the JDS’ turn to fill the mayor’s post, with a Congress member as deputy mayor.
On former chief minister Siddaraamaiah’s directions, a team of Congress members, headed by city Congress unit chief R Murthy, former mayors Ayub Khan and Arif Hussian, called on former minister Sa Ra Mahesh, JDS leader Cheluve Gowda and others.The Congress reiterated its support to the JDS and said it is free to field its candidate for the mayor’s post. They will also hold a joint meeting of Congress and JDS corporators to take a decision on sharing of posts of standing committees.
Mahesh, in consultation with local leaders and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, will be announcing the mayoral candidate. Former Mayor Khan said a joint meeting will send a strong message of unity among party workers. He said the meeting will be held after MLA Tanveer Sait returns to the city.
Meanwhile, Murthy said former minister Krishna Byre Gowda will be the party observer for the elections, and that a suitable deputy mayor will be picked after corporators are consulted with.