JD(S) stand gives Cong. a boost

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, MAY 7. The Congress, which failed to score an emphatic victory in the elections to urban local bodies, has received what it had anticipated from the Janata Dal (Secular) with its State President, Mr. Siddaramaiah, announcing that his party was not averse to helping the ruling Party in the State in running the civic bodies.

His announcement was on expected lines as the JD(S) had already been propping up the Congress administration in Bangalore Mahanagara Palike. The Janata Dal, before its split, had controlled the civic body for the first three years and got its members elected as mayors. After the split, the JD(S) is playing second fiddle to the Congress and helped its councillors to become the first citizens - Mr. Ramachandrappa last year and Ms. Prema Kariappa, the present Mayor.

Mr. Siddaramaiah's announcement has emboldened the Congress to lay claim to run two prestigious local bodies which went to the polls this time, the municipal corporations of Mysore and Hubli- Dharwad. In the 65-member Mysore City Corporation, the Congress secured 23 seats and the JD (S) 18 and their alliance will have a comfortable majority. In the 67-member Hubli-Dharwad Corporation, the JD(S), with 12 members, will be helping the Congress (24) gain what was denied to it by the citizens, an absolute majority.

The other civic bodies in the State which might go the Congress way with the JD(S) announcing its support in the name of keeping the BJP out will be Tirthahalli (total number of seats 14, five Congress, JD (S) three), Nanjangud (total 27, Congress 11 and JD (S) 10), Krishnarajanagaar (23, 10 and four), Hunsur (23, nine and eight), Kollegal (27, 11 and six), Chikmagalur City Municipality (31, 12 and four), Annigere (23, 11 and three), Kundagol (15, six and two), Shiggaon (20, seven and six) and Mudagal Town Panchayat (15, six and four).

In return, the Congress will be obliged to help the JD (S) to gain control over the civic bodies of Hiriyur (total 23, Congress nine and JD (S) 10), Mulbagal (23, nine each) and Tarikere (20, four and seven).

The Congress leaders appear to have forgotten the threat of expulsion they had held out to the rebel candidates who had contested the elections. The KPCC had claimed that it had given blanket powers to the DCC presidents to expel rebels and take disciplinary action against those who had indulged in anti-party activities. Except in a few places such as Mandya and Hassan, the DCC presidents dragged their feet on the issue of disciplinary action. Now that the election results are out and horse-trading for support from whoever is willing to help bring in Congress rule in the local bodies is in full swing, hardly any leader is talking of going ahead with disciplinary action.

It will not be surprising if the party's associate MLC, Mr. M.S.Siddaraju, who revolted against the Chief Minister, Mr. S.M.Krishna, in Maddur is given a reprieve as the party has won handsomely in Maddur town (17 out of 23 seats).

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Section  : Southern States
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