JD(S) set to become main Oppn. in BMP council

By Afshan Yasmeen

BANGALORE, NOV. 18. The Janata Dal (Secular), which won 13 seats in the recent Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) Council polls, is all set to form the main Opposition block in the new 100-member Council.

Five out of the nine independents, who emerged winners, are likely to join the JD(S) taking the party's strength to 18. This would prevent the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has secured 16 seats, from forming the Opposition group, sources told The Hindu on Sunday.

The five independents -- Mr. T.M.Muniswamappa (Kadugondanahalli), Mr. M.Shivraj (Kamalanagar), Ms. D.Shaila (Hombegowdanagar), and the corporator couple, Mr. V.Nagaraj (Sevashram) and Ms. Lakshmi N. (Ramachandrapuram), have already held discussions with the JD(S) City unit President, Mr. Ratan Singh. The formal announcement would be made soon, the sources said.

With speculation rife about the merger of JD(S) and JD(U) at the national level, there is a likelihood of the six JD(U) corporators alligning with the JD(S) in the BMP Council.

The five independents will initially submit letters of agreement to the JD(S) city unit President, who in turn will submit the letters to the BMP Commissioner and Election Officer, Mr. Ashok M.Dalwai. The formal announcement of the five members joining the JD(S) will be made only after that, according to the sources.

Even as the party claims to be ready to form the Opposition block, lobbying for the Opposition leader's post has begun among the JD(S) winners. The competition is between the two senior corporators, Mr. B.R.Nanjundappa (Jalahalli) and Mr. Syed Jameel Ahmed (JC Nagar). These are the only two JD(S) members who have been elected for the second time.

Confirming that the JD(S) is ready to form the main Opposition block, Mr. Ratan Singh said that hectic discussions were on with the independents for the last three days. He said there was a possibility of another one or two independents joining his party soon.

``With several formalities to be completed before the official merger of the two factions of the erstwhile Janata Dal, the unification process will take some time. We will have to approach the Election Commission and get a new symbol allotted for the party with a new name. We are hopeful that this will happen shortly,'' he said and added ``we are confident of forming the main Opposition block in the BMP council.''

Meanwhile, the BJP, which is the second largest party in the new Council, is making all-out efforts to retain its status of being the main Opposition in the Council.

``There is a usual trend of independents joining the ruling party. They may not join the JD(S). As a result, we will remain the second largest party and are confident of forming the main Opposition block,'' sources in the BJP said.

The sources also said that the BJP leaders had approached the independents. But the independents were not too keen on joining the BJP, the sources added.

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