BENGALURU: Senior BJP leaders on Saturday gave enough indication that the party will join hands with Janata Dal (Secular) to come to power in the Bruhat Bengaluru City Corporation, that is currently ruled by the Congress-JD(S) alliance.
“People of Bengaluru have given the mandate to BJP, but the Congress gained power from the backdoor. That equation may change soon and BJP is likely to come to power here,” Union Minister and Bengaluru South MP Ananth Kumar said,
addressing members of the party’s City unit executive committee.
“Former deputy chief minister R Ashok and his team will work to ensure that,” he added.
Hectic political activities have started in all three political parties as Mayor B N Manjunath Reddy’s tenure will end early next month. Both BJP and Congress are trying to woo JD(S). With just 14 corporators in the 198-member BBMP council, JD(S) plays a crucial role as the party that gets its support will be able to come to power.
Earlier in the day, Ashok said BJP leaders from the city discussed the issue with the party’s central leaders, who are in favour of joining hands with JD(S). After a final round of talks within the party, they will approach JD(S) president H D Deve Gowda, he added.
However, there seems to be no consensus within the party. Speaking to reporters in Shivamogga, state president B S Yeddyurappa said he is not aware of the developments related to Bengaluru Mayor’s election.
Sources said Yeddyurappa, working on winning 150 assembly seats in 2018 elections, is not keen on joining hands with JD(S) in Bengaluru as it may damage the party’s prospects in 2018.
The party’s state unit core committee meeting, scheduled on August 16, is likely to discuss the matter and take a decision.
Reddy meets Gowda
Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy met JD(S) president H D Deve Gowda with a request to continue the Congress-JD(S) alliance in BBMP. Gowda is said to have told Reddy that any decision would be taken after
consulting party corporators and state party president H D Kumaraswamy.