Horsetrading in Bengaluru mayor poll imminent 

Bengaluru, Aug 30 (DHNS): The dubious tradition of resort politics raised its ugly head on Saturday with the newly elected corporators of the JD(S) and six Independents leaving Bengaluru to huddle in resorts in Kerala, giving room for speculation that horsetrading is imminent.

Desperation and confusion reigned in the BJP, which is clueless as to how to reach out to the six Independent corporators-elect who were packed off to a resort in Alappuzha, Kerala, in the morning. All six remained incommunicado. A Congress MLA, a known supporter of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, monitored their travel plan.

A woman Independent corporator-elect, who contested as rebel BJP candidate, is one among the six Independents. She was flown out of the City along with her husband.

JD(S) MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan sent at least 12 of the 14 corporators-elect and some legislators of his party to a resort in Kerala. They took the evening flight to Kochi. The reason given by Khan was that the rival parties were trying to poach them to muster the required numbers to win the mayoral election.

Notification on Monday

Neither the Congress nor the JD(S) was forthcoming on how long the elected representatives would be kept in the resorts. The government is expected to issue the notification for the mayor and deputy mayor election on Monday.

The JD(S), which emerged a poor third in the BBMP election, has become all important for the BJP and the Congress as both the parties are keen to hold the reins of administration in the Palike.

The BJP claimed that it would choose only “Rajamarga” (right path) to run the Palike. But it began the day by sending Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda to knock on the doors of JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda’s bungalow in Padmanabhanagar. The minister, it is said, requested the JD(S) to either remain neutral or support the BJP to run the show in the Palike. The BJP failed to get any assurance from the JD(S). All Deve Gowda had to say was that he would reply to their request by Wednesday. His son H D Kumaraswamy, who is camping in a resort in Chikkamagaluru, said the developments should benefit the State. The party, which has enjoyed the prime minister’s post, would not resort to dubious means to be in power in Palike, he claimed.

The words of Siddaramaiah and Congress state chief G Parameshwara indicated that there are differences in the party over the Congress hobnobbing with the JD(S) and Independents to gain control over the Palike. When the media asked Siddaramaiah would it not be an unholy nexus between the Congress and the JD(S) in case a deal was struck, he retorted, “Sadananda Gowda met Deve Gowda. Is it not unholy? The BJP and KJP joined together to oust the JD(S) from prime opposition position in the legislative assembly. Is this holy?”.

However, Parameshwara minced no words to express his reservations against any circus to run the administration. “The people’s verdict is clear on where we should sit. We will go accordingly,” he said. It is said that Parameshwara was not taken into confidence on the exercise undertaken by a section of Siddaramaiah loyalists and Minister Ramalinga Reddy to scuttle the BJP’s chances to have its supremacy in the Palike.