The JD(S), which has been assured of Congress support for the post of Mayor in the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) as per an understanding, will be packing off its councillors to an undisclosed destination ahead of the mayoral polls scheduled for January 18.
A whip was issued to all the 18 councillors of the party at a meeting held under the leadership of former Minister S.R. Mahesh at the MCC Guest House in Vontikoppal here on Monday.
All the councillors had signed the whip directing them to abide by the decision of the high command in the choice of Mayor. “All the councilors have been asked to remain united and abide by the party leadership’s decision”, JD(S) Mysuru city unit president K.T. Cheluve Gowda told The Hindu .
The 65-member MCC has 21 BJP, 19 Congress and 18 JD(S) members, besides six others including one member from the BSP, which had a pre-poll understanding with JD(S). One seat is empty with the High Court annulling the election of BJP’s Guru Vinayak from Ward 18.
Voting rights
MPs and legislators from Mysuru will also enjoy voting rights during the Mayoral polls.
To prevent the councillors from being poached, the party leadership had decided to send them to an undisclosed destination, probably a resort, on August 16. “They will reach the MCC office around 7.30-8 a.m. on the day of mayoral polls”, said a JD(S) leader.
The party does not wish to take any chances. Mr. Mahesh had asked the councillors to be wary of BJP carrying out “Operation Lotus” in the MCC.
Four aspirants
With the State government reserving the post of Mayor to BCA Woman and Deputy Mayor to SC, JD(S) has four women aspirants belonging to the category reserved for the post of Mayor.
Namratha from Ward number 22, Tasneem from Ward number 26, Reshma Banu from Ward number 17 and K. Nirmala from Ward number 45 staked their claim for the coveted post.
The party leadership’s choice of candidate for the post will be finalised a day before the polls and announced about half-an-hour before the elections, said Mr. Cheluve Gowda.
Cong. decision not yet
The Congress, which will be settling for the post of Deputy Mayor this time, has not yet taken a decision on sending its councillors to a resort before the polls.
Mysuru City Congress Committee president R. Murthy told The Hindu that the party will hold a meeting of its councillors on August 16 and take a decision.
He said the party’s choice of candidate will be taken just prior to the election on January 18.
Mr. Murthy said lobbying has already begun for the post of not only Deputy Mayor, but also for the post of chairperson of standing committees on town planning and reforms, which will come the Congress way this time along with the post of chairperson for the committee on health, education and social justice.
