Congress may retain Bengaluru Mayor’s post

For the fourth time in a row, Congress party is most likely to hold the coveted Mayor’s post in the upcoming elections.

The Congress kept the Mayor’s post since it entered an alliance with the JD(S) at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in 2015 and allowed the junior partner to occupy the Deputy Mayor’s position.

Senior Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy said the equation will continue in the forthcoming Mayoral polls as well.

“We are 125 (in terms of corporators) and the JD(S) has got just 23. It is only fair for us to retain the coveted post,” Reddy told DH.

“How is it possible for them to have the top post?” he further asked. Senior Congress leader MK Gunashekar echoed similar views.

However, JD(S) MLC T A Sharavana said the final decision has not yet been made and his party is still hoping for the Mayor’s post.

“They (Congress) have been holding the key position for the past three years and it’s now our turn. We will see what is in store,” Sharavana said.

Congress though, is ready to share key positions in the standing committees with the JD(S) and the independent corporators.

During the 2017 Mayor polls, Congress gave away the chairman, standing committee of tax and finance in BBMP to JD(S), a key position since the chairman gets to control the budget and finances of the civic body.

Meanwhile, Reddy said the BJP has failed to woo the independent candidates to their party.

“They tried to poach a few of them supporting us. But now, things are under control and we are not sending anybody to the resorts to shield them from BJP,” said Reddy.

The Mayoral polls are scheduled on September 28.