Congress: BBMP too precious to lose

BENGALURU: Coming to power in the BBMP Council is crucial for the Congress as it has to face the Zilla Panchayat polls in December. Also, holding on to power in Bengaluru would benefit the ruling party to contest the assembly polls in 2018 with 28 constituencies falling under the BBMP jurisdiction.

“After spending time, energy and money over the BBMP election, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government will not allow the BJP to walk away with Bengaluru. Mr Siddaramaiah’s decision to assign the K.R. Puram and Rajarajeshwarinagar MLAs to spirit away the independents ahead of the Mayoral polls shows how desperate he is to grab power in the BBMP,” said N. Mukund, Secretary, Citizens’ Action Forum (CAF).

“It serves the Congress’s purpose to form the alliance with the JD(S). It will keep the BJP away from Bengaluru and BBMP affairs, and even if the JD(S) pulls out in the near future, the Congress government can go ahead with its plans to restructure Bengaluru. The JD(S) is thinking of extending outside support to the Congress. If the support is in the interest of Bengaluru and its citizens, it’s a welcome move,” he said.

If the JD(S) has to save its face for the future elections, it must remain neutral. The party, which had just one seat in the Assembly, has increased it to three. If it supports either of the two national parties, it might lose the faith of urban voters, warned a few experts.

Activists slam JD(S)-Congress tie-up

DC speaks to five prominent personalities on the political developments after the BBMP elections. Should the Congress go with the JD(S)? Has the BJP got the real mandate with its 100? The experts said that any political formulation is fine as long Bengaluru, which is reeling under a plethora of problems, is fixed quickly.

Mohandas Pai, Chairman of Manipal Global Education

This is nothing but a betrayal of Bengaluru voters. They came out and voted, assuming that their candidates would improve the condition of the city. But today, corporators are bought and sold like in an auction. It is a negation of democracy and all political parties, including the Congress, should be ashamed of this. Voters elected these representatives to serve them better and to solve issues related to the city. This battle for the mayoral post will definitely have an impact on the next council election. People will come out and voter in large number to teach a lesson to all those who played with their mandate.

Harish Bijoor, expert

Karnataka has seen a fair bit of resort politics in the past. Here is yet another. The biggest admission by resort politics is that votes, and most importantly those who hold those votes, can be bought. It is a sheer commoditisation politics at play. In 2015, when we hear Utopian thoughts of clean politics and a "new-wave of politicians", resort politics tells us that nothing much has changed. Politics is certainly the oldest profession in the world. In the current instance there is a lot of insecurity around. In the meantime, a whole bunch of our newly minted corporators and their families are having a nice little holiday in God's Own Country.

Kathyayini Chamaraj, CIVIC Trustee

It's ok to form a coalition in the Council, but political parties should have informed Bengalureans before the elections that the city would have coalition governance. The intention of Congress to join hands with the JD(S) is intended at fooling Bengalureans. The political parties were confident that they would win majority, but what happened now? Horse trading and resort politics are an insult to democracy. The next five years will be a disaster for the BBMP.

Mahalakshmi P., Secretary, Citizens’ Action Forum (CAF)

The corporators should have been running on the street formulating plans for their ward and for the development of infrastructure. But they have been running after money. This is unfortunate. Although the BJP has given bad governance in the last nine years, public has given them the mandate and they must rule. The JD(S) is holding city to ransom with just 14 seats and is indulging in a dirty game. This unholy alliance between the Congress and JD(S) is unacceptable.