BENGALURU: With polls to the five corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) not expected to be a walk in the park for the ruling party, which soared to power with a stupendous majority in the 2023 Assembly elections, the Congress’ poll strategist, Sunil Kanugolu, and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar are likely to adopt an exclusive strategy to counter any anti-incumbency trend.
At the same time, the GBA polls are going to be a litmus test for Kanugolu, who is also an AICC member, while it is also to be seen if the state government’s five guarantees have made any impression on voter sentiment.
According to sources, Kanugolu’s team has offered some feedback to the party, following a ground survey. The party has to deal with purely urban voters this time around, even as the anti-incumbency factor might be affecting the ruling Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
For KPCC president Shivakumar, it is a prestige battle, since the Bengaluru Development Ministry is under his supervision, and the party is going to leave no stone unturned to win in at least 2-3 out of the five corporations. Accordingly, the Grand Old Party is confident of clinching relatively smaller corporations — Bengaluru Central (63 wards) and Bengaluru North (72) — which are home to a considerable Muslim population.
Shivakumar has visibly made cautious moves by hitting the ground on Saturday to placate local voters, who have a lot of grievances, including the city’s infamous potholes. It may be noted that during the Socio-Educational and Economic Survey, he directed enumerators not to pose “embarrassing” questions to urban citizens, expecting backlash for the party otherwise.
Meanwhile, the Congress must deal with the ire of contractors too, who have been constantly highlighting an alleged rise in corruption. “It also has to face criticism from a section of builders, bogged down by higher taxes and also the corruption in getting NOCs for their apartment and other construction projects. They may tacitly back the Opposition parties,” remarked a senior Congress leader from Siddaramaiah’s coterie.
But Shivakumar has been striving hard to win the polls, setting up committees with party leaders, including Bengaluru ministers — Ramalinga Reddy, KJ George, Byrathi Suresh, BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, and Krishna Byre Gowda — to oversee the election.
As many as five exclusive manifestos will be prepared, targeting each corporation, said Rajya Sabha member and KPCC working president GC Chandrashekar, the convener of the polls. He is a close confidant of Shivakumar.
“We will chalk out a strategy to handle anti-incumbency factors working against the party. Implementation committees for the five guarantees will be set up, with each headed by a woman leader to ensure that their benefits reach beneficiaries,” he informed.
The polls are expected to be held in December, after the process of ward delimitation and fixing of reservation is completed in November.