BENGALURU: A week after the Kalaburagi Municipal Corporation elections threw up a fractured verdict, action has now shifted to Bengaluru as all the three big parties -- BJP, Congress and JDS -- are making efforts to get their party members elected as mayor and deputy mayor. After JDS, Congress councillors are in Bengaluru to hold discussions with their senior leaders.
State Congress president DK Shivakumar, JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda and BJP ministers are in talks with their respective party councillors and are trying to protect them from being wooed by other parties. On Saturday, Congress councillors met Shivakumar at his residence. Shivakumar said senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge is in touch with Deve Gowda, adding, “We have won more seats compared to last time.’’ Asked whether he is talking to Deve Gowda or HD Kumaraswamy, Shivakumar said, “I am ready to do anything. Nobody demanded the mayor’s post. The only proposal before me is to give good administration together.”
Congress won 27 seats, BJP 23, JDS four and independents one in the corporation polls. BJP too is seeking the support of JDS to cross the half-way mark. Revenue Minister R Ashoka met Kumaraswamy on Saturday to discuss the possible tie-up. “JDS has called a meeting on Monday where they will take a final decision. But I am confident of getting JDS support,” Ashoka said.
State JDS minority wing president Nasir Hussain Ustad told TNSE that the party wants a long-term understanding of five years with either BJP or Congress.
“Our party wants mayor’s post for three terms, including the first,” he said. Two-time BJP councillor Vishal Darge, however, said the party may accept giving the deputy mayor’s post and the post of chairman of a standing committee to JDS. “We hope that JDS will accept this offer,” he said.
Congress councillor Yallappa Naikode too hoped that the party would get the JDS support. Interestingly, both the Congress and BJP seemed unwilling to give JDS the mayor’s post. The category for the mayor and deputy mayor posts are yet to be announced by the government.