Congress-JD(S) alliance likely to continue in MCC

Parties had sealed an understanding last year that they would share power in the council

Even though the Congress and JD(S) parted ways in the State after the collapse of H.D. Kumaraswamy-led coalition government, the two are expected to continue their alliance in Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) council.

A day after the State government announced the reservation of the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor for BCA (Women) and Scheduled Caste respectively, JD(S) corporators met under the leadership of former Minister S.R. Mahesh in the city.

Congress and JD(S) had sealed an understanding last year that the two parties would share power in the council, which has the BJP as the single largest party with 22 seats followed by the Congress’ 19 and JD(S)’ 18.

The post of Mayor went to the Congress’s Pushpalatha Jagannath last year while the JD(S)’ Shafi Ahmed settled for the Deputy Mayor’s post on the understanding the Mayoral post will go to JD(S) in the second, fourth and fifth year.

Mr. Mahesh, who had already made it clear that there was no reason for the JD(S) to discontinue its alliance with the Congress, interacted with corporators including the four women belonging to the category reserved at a meeting on Friday. All the four women – Namratha from Ward no. 22, Tasneem from Ward no. 26, Reshma Banu from Ward no. 17 and K. Nirmala from Ward no. 45 staked their claim for the post. Meanwhile, Begum alias Pallavi of the BSP too requested Mr. Mahesh to consider her name for a suitable position in the MCC. BSP was an alliance partner of the JD(S) in the elections.

No final decision was taken on the Mayoral candidate. “We have left it to the senior leaders,” said JD(S) corporator S.B.M. Manju.

Measnwhile, president of Mysuru City Congress Committee R. Murthy told The Hindu that the post of Mayor will go to JD(S) this time if party leaders stick to the alliance. The Congress will have to settle for the post of Deputy Mayor. The Congress too had candidates belonging to the category to which the post of Deputy Mayor had been reserved, he added. A suitable candidate would be chosen for the post, he said. The JD(S) had shared power with the BJP during the previous MCC term when Congress was the single largest party.