JD(S) may not support Cong in B'luru mayoral poll, hints Gowda

Ahead of the Bengaluru mayoral election, Janata Dal (S) President H D Deve Gowda on Friday hinted that his party might not continue its support to the Congress in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

Stating that his son and party state president H D Kumaraswamy were not happy with the alliance with the Congress, Gowda said that a final call in this regard would be taken shortly.

He also mentioned that BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa had indicated that the BJP did not want to forge an alliance with the JD(S) in the BBMP. Sources said that the JD(S) has decided to issue a whip to its 14 corporators to remain neutral and not to indulge in cross voting.

Of the 14 corporators, as many as 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 assured their support to the Congress during the mayoral election, which is scheduled to be held on September 19.

The Bengaluru Regional Commissioner has already issued a notification on holding the mayoral poll.

According to sources, the mayor’s post has been reserved for backward castes while that of the deputy mayor will be for the General category.

The term of Mayor B N Manjunath Reddy ends on August 11. However, due to the delay in issuing the election notification, Reddy will continue as mayor till a new one is elected.
It is learnt that the Congress corporators have already started lobbying for the mayor’s post.

Invitation for JP movement leaders

Deve Gowda said that he will be inviting all the leaders who were part of the JP movement, to the inauguration of the JD(S) office in the Bengaluru in November.

Gowda said leaders including L K Advani, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Siddaramaiah and P G R Sindhia would be invited for the inaugural ceremony. The JD(S) office, which is presently under construction, will be completed by November, he said.

“This is an occasion for me to remember those days fondly. I am not sure if all the leaders invited will turn up, but will invite them nevertheless. My intention is to invite everybody who contributed to the movement,” he added.