BENGALURU: WITH Mayor Manjunath Reddy’s term coming to an end next month, members of all three political parties are claiming that the next Mayor will be from their party. However, JD(S) will continue to play a key role in the next Mayoral election.
The next mayor will be from Backward Class (B)-Women category while the post of deputy mayor will be reserved for General category as per the roster. The present Congress-JD(S) coalition has a Mayor from Congress and Deputy Mayor from JD(S).
Sources in Congress said the JD(S) may now demand for reversal of roles — that is they might demand that the Mayor be from their party and Deputy from Congress.
Congress working president Dinesh Gundu Rao said the process has not started as they are yet to get an official notification on the mayoral election. “We hope and wish that the mayor candidate is from Congress,” he said.
On the other hand, the JD(S) is still undecided. “We are not sure whether to go with the Congress or BJP. We will decide in the next four days,” former PM and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda said.
The BJP is in denial mode. One of BJP’s vice-presidents, B N Vijay Kumar, denied any coalition with JD(S) in the next mayoral term.
Sources in BJP said that at present, they have 12 seats from the Assembly constituencies in Bengaluru. “If we join hands with the JD(S), our number will come down further. Our next target is Assembly election 2018. Let the BBMP Council be dissolved, we will not join hands with JD(S),” a senior BJP leader said.
While state president B S Yeddyurappa is against a coalition with JD(S), sources in BJP said former Deputy CM R Ashok is favouring it.
“For the 2018 election, Ashok is also an aspirant for the CM’s post. So he wants to have a hold in Bengaluru and having a Mayor from BJP will favour him,” sources said.
When contacted, G Padmavathi, senior councillor from Prakashnagar ward in Rajajinagar assembly constituency, said that the next mayor will be BCB-Women.
“In Congress there are only two candidates, who come under that category - myself and Bhuvaneshwari, who is a first-time councillor. As a fourth-term councillor, I am a contender for the post. I have appealed to my party leaders for the chance. In Congress, seniority usually plays an important role. But it is the party leaders’ decision,” she said.
A BJP councillor said they want their party to be in power. “It all depends on Yeddyurappa. “We have more than 100 seats, then why can’t the Mayor be from our party?” he asked.