Congress-JD(S) pact for BBMP mayoral posts: It’s a done deal?

Bengaluru: The Congress and JD(S) moved a step closer to clinching a deal to win the prestigious BBMP mayoral posts with KPCC president Dr G Parameshwar calling on JD(S) patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda and later meeting JD(S) state chief H.D. Kumaraswamy to work out the details.

Mr Gowda asserted that the alliance with Congress was confined to the BBMP polls and was not a long-term association. "The city is under debt, it needs money for development. We are cooperating with the state government for this,'' he said justifying the pact.

The Congress will get the mayor's post and that of deputy mayor will be offered to JD(S) as a goodwill gesture while JD(S) corporators will also be made heads of various standing committees. Dr Parameshwar told reporters that after holding talks with Mr Kumaraswamy and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, “we will take a decision at an appropriate time.”

Knowing that it stands between victory and defeat for the Congress in the mayoral polls, the JD(S) is however beginning to talking tough. Sources said Mr Kumaraswamy is likely to put forth two conditions for the pact to materialise: The BBMP should not be divided and two, the bills of civic work contractors-a staggering Rs 9,600 crore- should be cleared in one instalment! Will Mr Siddaramaiah so easily give in to the JD(S) demand not to divide the city for which he has been pressing all along? A Congress source cynically remarked that the JD(S) is working on its exit plan from the alliance even before they forge a relationship.

Meanwhile, a shell-shocked BJP is yet to come to terms with the looming loss of the BBMP despite the party winning 100 seats of the total 198. Party sources said the BJP messed up because of the lack of co-ordination between the city unit dominated by Union minister Ananth Kumar and R. Ashok and the party state leadership.

Reluctant GP told: Toe Digvijay line

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah succeeded in prevailing over Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dr G. Parameshwar, who had been opposing the decision to forge an alliance with Janata Dal (S) with the help of none other than AICC general secretary, Digvijay Singh and AICC secretary, Dr A. Chellakumar on Wednesday.

Every leader whom Dr Chellakumar met, echoed Parameshwar's grave concern and repeated his words of caution about going ahead with the alliance with JD(S). They were finally placated when they were told the alliance was limited to the BBMP, not the zilla panchayat polls.