BJP wins Mysuru mayoral polls

Mysuru: The BJP has created history by winning the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor in the Mysuru City Municipal Corporation in Karnataka, earning a boost in the Old Mysuru region which is seen as a bastion of the Congress and the JD-S.
The BJP could achieve the feat with the help of JD-S corporators who voted in the favour of the BJP candidate in the Mayoral election.
The BJP has been making efforts to expand its base in the region, known as a Vokkaliga heartland. This win has the potential to dent the morale of party workers belonging to rival parties in the run up to the 2023 elections.
Earlier, in the Old Mysuru region, even former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa could not ensure a victory for the BJP. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s long association with former Prime Minister and JD-S stalwart H D Deve Gowda apparently proved useful.
Bommai was Gowda’s shadow after he quit as Prime Ministerand developed deep political insights into the politics of Old Mysuru region. He also learnt the tricks as the Parliamentary Secretary to the then Chief Minister J H Patel.
These associations when his father S R Bommai was the Chief Minister gave him an opportunity to come close to the JD-S leadership.
Bommai has drawn up a list denoting the areas where the BJP needs to focus on.
The latest victory has raised questions on the ideological commitment and leadership of JD-S leader H D Kumaraswamy, given his aim of winning 123 seats in next state election.