Urban local bodies go to polls in Karnataka amid coalition crisis

Polling was held to a total of 209 urban local bodies in Karnataka yesterday amid the crisis gripping the ruling coalition in the State over the transfer of power from the JD (S) to the BJP.

The coalition partners JD (S) and BJP were pitted against the Opposition Congress in a triangular contest for 7 City Corporations, 44 City Municipal Councils, 93 Town Municipalities and 65 Town Panchayats.

Though the polling, in which more nine million voters were expected to exercise their franchise, was reported to be moderate, protests over missing of names in the voters’ list and minor skirmishes between rival party supporters were reported from different parts of the state like Kolar, Raichur and Mysore.

Trouble was also reported from Bellary, where JD (S) supporters allegedly threw stones on a vehicle in which Tourism Minister B Sriramulu and BJP MLC Janardhan Reddy were travelling.

The results of the election, scheduled to be declared on Sunday, will, however, be keenly awaited in the light of the uncertainty over the transfer of power in Karnataka.

According to political observers, JD (S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, who is reluctant to hand over power to the BJP on October 3 as scheduled, may well prefer mid-term polls if his party fares well and the BJP does not. Even if BJP does well, Gowda is expected to bargain for a Lion’s share for his party in the coalition before handing over the mantle.

Gowda, who announced the suspension of talks on transfer of power to BJP in the wake of Tourism Minister Sriramulu’s attempt to murder complaint against Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, has already welcomed mid-term polls to the State during a press conference he convened on Thursday.

“All the parties are talking about mid-term polls. Let it come. Even the media will be happy”, he had replied to a question.

Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy has denied that he would step down on October 3 to pave the way for its coalition partner BJP to assume the mantle of Chief Minister.

“I never said that I would be demitting office on October 3 as reported in a section of the media”, Kumaraswamy told reporters at his home office Krishna in Bangalore yesterday. A meeting of JD (S) legislators had been convened on Sunday and a decision will be taken only after the meeting, the Chief Minister clarified.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who is tipped to become the Chief Minister, said he hoped Kumaraswamy will “reciprocate” the BJP’s gesture to support him for the past 20 months.

“In the last 20 months, the BJP has extended Kumaraswamy the fullest support. I hope he shows me the same gesture in coming 20 months”, Yediyurappa said.

Expressing optimism that the JD (S) will hand over power, Yediyurappa said he will meet Kumaraswamy and Gowda shortly and discuss the matter with them.