BJP central leaders prefer coalition for local bodies’ polls amidst concerns over protecting cadre’s interests

Amid public rhetoric by BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) leaders over the fate of alliance in the election to the local bodies, the possibility of the two parties going to polls together instead of ‘friendly fights’ at ward level has not been ruled out.

“There could be some kind of arrangement between the NDA partners to fight the election together,” JD(S) sources indicated. JD(S) Youth President Nikhil Kumaraswamy also said on Friday (January 11) that there has been no decision yet on parties contesting independently.

Sources said, “Irrespective of what local leaders are speaking, the BJP central leadership is keen on facing zilla panchayats and taluk panchayats in an alliance. Focus is to secure power.” It is learnt that the BJP central leadership has indicated to the JD (S) leadership that it is important to defeat Congress in these elections before the big election to the Legislative Assembly in 2028. “If an arrangement cannot be hammered out eventually, district units will be allowed to take decisions,” sources said.

At the same time, local leaders of both the parties say they prefer going it alone in the local bodies polls as they fear that an alliance for these polls would mean causing heartburns among their cadre. “The local bodies’ polls are an opportunity to politically empower the cadre. An alliance in these polls poses the threat of losing the cadre in some cases due to disappointment of not getting ticket to contest, particularly in the old Mysore region where both the parties have their presence,” observed an alliance leader.

“But the party central leaders may be looking at sending a strong political message that it is possible for the BJP and JD(S) to gain political ground if they come together much against the common belief that the ruling party would have advantage in the local bodies polls. While they have a political point, the leaders of both the BJP and JD(S) will have a tough time in convincing their respective cadre and taking them along,” he observed.

Echoing similar view, another coalition leader made it clear that the BJP and JD(S) top leaders were waiting to assess the political fallout of the ongoing leadership tussle in the Congress government before taking a call on the local bodies polls for which elections are yet to be announced.

Sources said that the JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s assertion that his party will go it alone in local bodies election should not be seen as his party’s stand as it is learnt to be a response to BJP state President B.Y. Vijayendra’s statement on BJP having the potential to independently win Assembly elections.

Meanwhile, the BJP has already commenced district-level meetings of its organisational leaders to prepare for the local bodies polls. Interestingly, the leaders of Mandya district unit of the party publicly took exception to Mr. Deve Gowda’s statement on going it alone and declared that they too want to fight independently. Sources in the party sought to downplay this episode by attributing it to the turf-war in this Vokkaliga hotbed of politics. But they made it clear that such developments are bound to be watched by the party central leaders.

Meanwhile, the JD(S) has asked its leaders not to independently air their opinions on the alliance in public, and another meeting is likely to be called to convey the message.