MYSORE: Congress leader and former Chairman of Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) Sandesh Nagaraj has opposed the Congress's move to align with the All-India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD) in the Mysore Zilla Panchayat.

Addressing presspersons here on Monday, Mr. Nagaraj lashed out at the former Minister H. Vishwanath for "misleading" the High Command on the party local unit's preference for an alliance with the AIPJD. "We are not in favour of an alliance with the AIPJD. We would rather prefer to go with the Janata Dal (S)," Mr. Nagaraj said.

Though he did not identify any other leader of the Congress in Mysore district, who is opposing a likely alliance with the AIPJD, Mr. Nagaraj said he had written to KPCC President M. Mallikarjun Kharge opposing any truck with the AIPJD in Mysore district.

Mr. Nagaraj's outburst against Mr. Vishwanath has brought to the fore differences in the Congress's decision to align with the AIPJD. "Had the Congress preferred to tie up with the JD (S) like it did at the State level, the party could have come to power in seven more zilla panchayats in the State," he said.

The Congress, which has emerged as the single largest party in the 46-member Mysore Zilla Pancyayat by bagging 18 seats, needs to tie up with either the AIPJD, which has 15 members, or the JD (S), which won 11 seats. A meeting of the Congress and AIPJD leaders is scheduled to be held in Mysore on January 25 to finalise the tie-up between the two parties.

Mr. Nagaraj launched a broadside against Mr. Vishwanath and held him responsible for the Congress's loss of support base in Mysore district.

"The party went to the Assembly polls in 2004 under Mr. Vishwanath's leadership in the district. But, the party managed to win only one seat. The party was not able to register any major gains even during the recent elections to zilla panchayat and taluk panchayats," Mr. Nagaraj pointed out. Describing Mr. Vishwanath as a practitioner of caste politics, Mr. Nagaraj said the former did little to secure the support of dominant communities like the Lingayats and Vokkaligas. After losing the elections, Mr. Vishwanath plotted to bring down the coalition Government in the State and force a mid-term poll so that he secured another opportunity to get re-elected to the Assembly.

He joined hands with AIPJD leader Siddaramaiah and played "caste politics" in the district. In his letter to Mr. Kharge, Mr. Nagaraj claimed that he had sought the expulsion of Mr. Vishwanath from the party.

Minister in charge of Mysore district Tanvir Sait, who is away on a pilgrimage to Mecca, also came in for ridicule by Mr. Nagaraj.

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