Daijiworld Media Network - Mysuru
Mysuru, Nov 16: Ahead of the mayoral elections of Mysuru City Corporation to be held on November 17, JD(S) has moved 18 corporators to Eagleton Resort in Bidadi in Ramanagara district.
The JD(S) in Mysuru is insistent on electing its own corporator as the mayor this year and wants to keep its options open, especially after the Mysuru City Corporation elections held on September 3 ended in a hung verdict.
In the elections to decide corporators in the 65 wards under the Mysuru City Corporation, 22 BJP, 19 Congress, 18 JD(S), 1 BSP and five independent candidates have been elected.
It is said that in spite of JD(S) forming a coalition with Congress in the state as well as BBMP, in Mysuru the party has allied with the BJP for the city corporation since 2013. Sources reveal that JD(S) in Mysuru are not keen on tying up with Congress and are hoping to make a JD(S) corporator the Mayor. Meanwhile, Sa Ra Mahesh, JD(S) leader and Mysuru district minister in-charge, told media, “We want to elect our own candidate as the Mayor and then alternate with the Congress' preferred choice. We are also open to holding the post for two years and then allowing Congress to hold it for three years."
Mahesh is said to meet Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy in Mangaluru on Friday evening to decide on the JD(S) stance as well as narrow down on the Mayor candidate.
He also said that a meeting with Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Dinesh Gundu Rao has been fixed. The meetings will help JD(S) to fix its stand, he said.
Meanwhile, Mahesh said that the party is open to the idea of joining forces with the BJP, and discussions have been held with BJP corporators as well.
It is important to note since 2013, the JD(S) has managed to elect its candidate as the mayor of the city in a power-sharing arrangement with the BJP. However, with the coalition in the state, the entire political equation has changed.
Kumaraswamy is said to take a decision on this regard with coalition partner late Friday night.