MYSURU: Old friends BJP and JDS may renew their ties for the Mandya District Central Cooperative Bank president's election slated for November 17, to keep the Congress at bay.
Eight of the DCC Bank directors are from Congress, while four are from JDS, which has now knocked on the doors of BJP to seek the support of three government nominees. With this, the JDS will have seven directors and sill short of majority. But one who has identified with Congress is likely to jump ship and join the JDS- BJP faction giving the grouping a majority.
Worried local Congress leaders have knocked on the doors of KPCC president DK Shivakumar and Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah to help in bagging the post, as it will strengthen the party in the district. Siddaramaiah has already called the director who wanted to switch his allegiance to JDS-BJP and asked him to support Congress.
Sources said that JDS leaders have approached Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa seeking the support of government nominees. The JDS' gameplan is to stop Shivakumar from gaining in political status with a win here.
Both JDS leaders and Shivakumar aim for the same Vokkaliga voter base. Former minister and JDS leader N Chaluvarayaswamy confirmed that the party is trying to stop Congress from winning the president’s post at DCC Bank.
But a few BJP leaders are against the arrangement as the party had locked horns with JDS and won the keenly contested KR Pet by-election last year. Any such arrangement would impact the panchayat elections that are likely to be held soon.
Maintaining an equidistance from both Congress and JDS would help the BJP expand its base in this Vokkaliga-dominated JDS bastion, they feel. "We have expressed our opinion. But we will abide by whatever decision the party takes," said a senior party leader, requesting anonymity.