BBMP power struggle: Independents demand Rs 10 crore each, BJP says no

Bengaluru: The BJP, which was caught off guard after five of the eight independent corporators were spirited away, on Saturday reportedly refused to give in when these councilors demanded Rs 10 crore each for voting in favour of the saffron party during the mayoral elections, sources close to the development said.

The independent corporators, holed up in a Kerala resort, allegedly tried to make the best out of the situation, but were not encouraged by the BJP, the sources said. The BJP now has a different gameplan and has excluded the role of independents in its execution. The party now feels that it should make a strong pitch with the JD(S) to be on its side.

On Friday, Union Law Minister and senior BJP leader D.V. Sadananda Gowda went to H.D. Deve Gowda’s residence seeking the Janata Dal (Secular) support. But the former Prime Minister told Mr Sadananda Gowda that he would take a decision only on Wednesday.

Asked why did BJP leaders, instead of sitting in the opposition and earning the sympathy of the public, decided to approach the JD(S), Mr R. Ashok, campaign manager for the BJP for the BBMP polls, said, “We have the NDA government at the Centre and we can bring in a lot of funds. With it, we can earn a good name for the city.”

The BJP Core Committee, which met here on Friday night, discussed threadbare the issue of approaching the JD(S) for support during the mayoral elections.