MYSURU: The BJP’s victory in the prestigious mayoral election in the Mysuru City Corporation could well alter the political landscape ahead of the zilla and taluk panchayat elections. By clinching power for the first time, the party will be looking to consolidate its base in the Old Mysuru region, dominated by the Congress and the JDS.
The surprise development in Opposition leader Siddaramaiah’s backyard, where the Congress lost control for the first time after the Mysuru City Municipality was upgraded as a City Corporation in 1983, has not gone down well with the party leaders and cadres. With both the Congress and the JD(S) locking horns over the mayor’s post, the BJP seized the opportunity and walked away with the prize.
The Congress and JDS had entered into an alliance with an agreement to share the mayoral posts for two and three years, respectively, to keep BJP out of power. But the JDS, which was supposed to hand over the mayor’s post to Congress, was adamant on continuing. In a compromise formula, the Grand Old Party had even agreed to give up both the mayor and deputy mayor’s posts for one more year if it was given those posts for the next six months. However, JDS MLCs Srikante Gowda, Marithibbe Gowda and others could not convince the party leadership.
The win, which has come as a timely booster for the saffron party, however, poses fresh challenges for the Congress in ensuing elections if both the JDS and the BJP decide to go together or enter into a tacit understanding. The BJP, which does not have much presence in the rural areas in Mysuru region, will be a gainer if it can cement a pact with the JDS. District In-charge Minister S T Somashekar recalled that they had approached JDS leaders twice, seeking their support.
He said that the BJP win in the mayoral election is a victory of all the party workers. He thanked all those including JDS MLS Sa Ra Mahesh, for “directly or indirectly supporting” the party in the election. However, he did not specify if the BJP will have an understanding or alliance with any other party for the panchayat polls.
The JDS, which had also fielded its candidate for the mayor’s post, claimed that the party’s top leaders had overridden the opinions of the corporators and legislators. Marithibbe Gowda said they went by the directions of the party bosses and not the opinion of the members. He felt that the development could hit the prospects of the party in the run-up to the zilla and taluk panchayat polls.
Asked whether the JD(S) will benefit from an alliance with the BJP, he said it is the latter which may be the gainer as it does not have a base in the rural pockets. The JDS can leverage any such arrangement to get grants released for development works in its strongholds, he noted.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Working President R Dhruvanarayan said the JDS leaders had entered into a tactical understanding with BJP for the mayoral poll. This is the beginning of both those parties coming together and should be a warning for the Congress to take on them in the future elections, he felt.