Karnataka CM hints at BJP-JD(S) joining hands to gain power in Kalaburagi corporation

The BJP and JD(S) are most likely to form an alliance to take control of the Kalaburagi City Corporation, where no party managed to get a clear majority, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said Tuesday.

Bommai said this a day after a JD(S) delegation led by former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy met him.

In the 55-member Kalaburagi civic body, the halfway mark is 28. The BJP has 23, the Congress 27, JD(S) four and there is one Independent.

“There was no detailed discussion. I said we should go together. They said they will discuss it locally. Having said that, they showed interest in joining hands,” Bommai said of his meeting with the JD(S) delegation. “In all likelihood, the JD(S) and BJP will form a majority in Kalaburagi,” he said.

If the alliance comes through, then the BJP will be poised to take control of all three city corporations that went to polls and whose results came out Monday: Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad and Kalaburagi.

Delhi visit

Bommai, who is scheduled to visit New Delhi, said he would meet Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Housing & Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

“I will meet Gadkari to discuss some public works and national highway proposals. With the finance minister, I will discuss funding for Centrally-sponsored schemes. And, there are urban housing programmes and metro extension matters that I will discuss with Puri,” Bommai said.

This will be Bommai’s fourth visit to the national capital since taking charge as CM over a month ago.

Bommai specified that he will not discuss filling up four vacant Cabinet berths. “That won’t be discussed this time,” he said.

Nipah virus

On the government’s readiness to deal with the Nipah virus, Bommai said the state’s borders with Kerala were already sealed. “We have ramped up vaccination and testing. So, we will take tighter measures. We have asked experts to study the Nipah virus and recommend precautionary measures needed. We’re observing,” he said.

Potholes

With rains slamming Bengaluru, the infamous potholes have mushroomed across the city.

A 75 year-old differently-abled man died after his two-wheeler ran over a pothole in the city on Monday night.

Reacting to this, Bommai said the BBMP chief commissioner had instructions to fill up potholes “as soon as the rains subside.” Bommai added that this would be done on a war footing.

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