JD(S) may snap ties with Cong in Palike, hints HDK

Kumaraswamy says corruption rampant in BBMP

JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday said the party will soon take a call on whether or not it should continue its alliance with the Congress in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Council, ahead of the Mayoral election next month.

“I will soon meet our party corporators and take a decision,” Kumaraswamy told reporters, while dropping hints that his party is not keen on continuing the alliance.

The Congress cannot hold the reins of administration in BBMP council without the support of the JD(S). Though the BJP is the single largest party, it does not have the numerical strength to take control of the council.


“All decisions are taken by Bengaluru City Development Minister K J George and other Congress MLAs. The standing committees don’t have any power. They don’t get any files and no project comes to them for approval. This is nothing but a loot. That’s why Bengaluru has become like this,” Kumaraswamy said.


The Siddaramaiah government may be the last Congress government in Karnataka, Kumaraswamy said. “Siddaramaiah has become arrogant. He says the JD(S) has become almost non-existent. He thinks elections can be won with money, like the Congress did by spending Rs 100 crore to win the Nanjangud and Gundlupet Assembly bypolls. In the 2018 Assembly election, the Congress’ saga of defeat will begin from these two constituencies,” he said.


The next JD(S) government will bring out all of Siddaramaiah’s scams, he vowed. “You won’t need a scam bigger than the Arkavathy layout. They remodified 450 acres of land. Was it for farmers? The government has been forming enquiry commissions to cover up its scams,” the former chief minister charged.


Kumaraswamy said he was recovering from cough and phlegm and that he required another week to get battle-ready. “I have a target of winning 35-40 seats in north Karnataka and the party will launch a programme to reach the grassroots in 50 Assembly constituencies.” From August 20 to 31, the party’s SC/ST MLAs will tour all 30 districts and a SC/ST convention will be held next month, he added.