With Bengaluru Mayor B.N. Manjunath Reddy’s term coming to an end on September 18, two major political parties — Congress and BJP — are vying with each other to seek the support of the Janata Dal (S), which will continue to play a key role in the next mayoral election.
Leaders of both the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP have been making all-out efforts to grab the support the JD(S) which has just 14 members in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) council. Neither the Congress nor the BJP can secure power in the council without the support of the JD(S).
Meeting Gowda
On Saturday, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy called on JD(S) national president H.D. Deve Gowda and sought the support of the 14 councillors for the Congress to elect the new Mayor. Mr. Reddy, who was Benglauru in-charge minister last year, was instrumental in forming an alliance with the JD(S).
Mr. Reddy told The Hindu that during the discussion with Mr. Gowda, he sought the JD(S) support to “continue the good work” done by the Congress in the city.
Mr. Gowda said a final decision on the matter would be taken after his son and party State president H.D. Kumaraswamy consults party councillors. Mr. Kumaraswamy is busy in the shooting of his son’s film, sources said.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders R. Ashok and Union Chemical and Fertilizers Minister Ananth Kumar issued statements on Saturday that the party would seek the JD(S) support to keep the Congress out of power in the BBMP.
Curiously, State BJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa, who had indicated that the BJP does not want to strike an alliance with the JD(S) in the BBMP till the 2018 Assembly elections, pleaded ignorance about the two leaders’ statements. He said in Shivamogga, “I am not aware of any such developments. I will comment on the issue only after seeking information from the party leaders in Bengaluru.”
Within JD(S)
The situation within the JD(S), in the meantime, remains quite volatile. Of the 14 councillors of the party, eight are from wards in the Assembly constituencies represented by suspended JD(S) MLAs B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan (Chamarajpet), Akhanda Srinivasmurthy (Pulakeshinagar) and K. Gopalaiah (Mahalakshmi Layout).
The three MLAs have promised their support to the Congress during the mayoral election.
These MLAs supported a Congress candidate in the elections to the Rajya Sabha from the State, held a few months ago.
