Will lose local body polls if we go with JD(S): Congressmen

Bengaluru: A day-long meeting of office bearers of the state unit of Congress witnessed vociferous opposition to an alliance with JD(S) for forthcoming elections to local bodies here on Saturday. 

Though central leaders of the party have announced that all polls would be fought with JD(S) as the alliance partner, office- bearers of northern as well as southern districts demanded that the party contest elections to local bodies independently, notwithstanding efforts by former chief minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC president Dinesh Gundurao to resort order at the meeting. 

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader from north Karnataka region said, “The alliance arrangement for Lok Sabha polls may not damage much in north Karnataka region,  but it will surely harm the party’s prospects in case the arrangement continues for local body polls. Any arrangement with JD(S) will only weaken our hold on the region while strengthening the BJP. Hence we supported leaders of south Karnataka,” the leader added. 

While endorsing such views, a senior leader from southern Karnataka observed that any alliance ahead of local body elections would certainly ruin the party setup in Old Mysore region. 

“In the south, it is a direct fight between us and  JD(S). There are workers who have fought at regular intervals and even resorted to violence. Here, we have acrimonious relationship. There is no way we can convince our workers to work with each other. This is true with JD(S) as well. Leaders at national level think all looks hunky-dory but at the grassroot level its cut throat competition. We are fearing that any continuation of coalition ahead of local bodies will only help BJP in a big way, as either of the party workers will not hesitate and work for BJP candidates. Losing workers is the biggest threat we face,” the leader said.