MYSURU: As the countdown begins for the Mysuru City Corporation mayoral elections, the JDS fears that the BJP may try to lure its corporators. With the elections being conducted on January 18, the party fears that the BJP may carry out another Operation Lotus using the JDS’ disgruntled legislators, and has decided to keep its flock united.
The JDS, which is still meeting aspiring candidates as the government has reserved the Mayor’s post for a backward class woman and Deputy Mayor’s post for an SC member, has also issued whips to its workers to abide by the party’s decision.
Former Mayor Ravi Kumar had got the whips signed by party leaders and has issued it to all its 18 corporators in the 65-member corporation. The BJP has 21 members, Congress has 19 and six are Independents.
Sources said that some JDS leaders were approached, and were asked to reconsider their options. To counter the BJP, JDS leaders are being moved to resorts in the outskirts of the city. Sources said that the party has booked Eagleton The Golf Resort near Bengaluru for its leaders, as they wanted to be near Mysuru to be with their families on Sankranti.
The BJP needs 12 more corporators to wrest power in Mysuru, but the JDS doesn’t want to take any chances as it has already entered into an agreement with the Congress. The Independents are also in no mood to take a risk, with four years of their tenure remaining.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Mahesh denied that the BJP is making attempts to wrest power in Mysuru, claiming that such rumours are only cropping up because of differences among the JDS and Congress.