Mysuru mayoral election: JDS now in piquant spot

MYSURU: BJP created history on Tuesday by winning both the mayor and deputy mayor posts in the Mysuru City Corporation, but the victory raised too many questions on the political credentials of JDS.

The ideological commitment of JDS senior leader HD Kumaraswamy too has come under scanner as the party has drawn a road map of “Mission 123” to come to power in the state of its own strength. Though he has repeatedly claimed that he will fight both Congress and BJP, JDS corporators voting in favour of the BJP candidate in the mayoral election has only given further grist to Congress allegation that the regional party is the “B team” of BJP.

On the other side, it has given a boost to the saffron party, which wants to expand its base in the Old Mysuru region -- a known Vokkaliga heartland and a bastion of Congress and JDS. A JDS leader, requesting anonymity, admitted that this development will affect the morale of party workers in the election year, but not to the extent of jeopardising their plan. The party will maintain equidistance from both the national parties and it will go to people with Pancha Rathnas.