Civic polls: Cong leaves it for dist units to decide on tie-up

District units of the Congress have been authorised to take a decision at the local level about forging an alliance for the urban local body polls, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said today.

Polls to 105 urban local bodies in the state are scheduled for August 29.

During the recent constituency wise meeting about preparations for Lok Sabha polls, a majority of the party's local leaders had reportedly expressed their opposition to alliance with the JD(S) in the urban local body polls.

"We have left it to district units, they will decide. In the local body election....there is no alliance (across the state), we have left it to local district units to decide," Siddaramaiah, congress legislature party leader, told reporters at Hubballi.

 

However, he said there would be an alliance for the Lok Sabha polls.

Seat sharing arrangement between both the parties for Lok Sabha polls, especially in the old Mysuru region where JD(S) is strong and Congress too has its sitting MPs, is going to be a test for the coalition.

Not wishing to comment on questions relating to certain issues on the Congress-JD(S) coalition government, Siddaramaiah, who is also the chairman of the coalition coordination committee, said it is important for both parties to follow "coalition dharma."

"....we will discuss in the coordination committee, it cannot be discussed openly. It is a coalition government," he said in response to a question.

"We will have to follow coalition dharma....every one has to follow it, we will also have to follow, and they will also have to follow," he added.

Congress and JD(S) which had bitterly fought against each other in the assembly elections, especially in the old Mysuru region, joined hands to form a coalition government in the state as the May 12 assembly polls threw up a hung verdict.