Record number of parties in fray

The Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) polls will see a record number of parties, 12, contesting this time.

Apart from major parties like the Congress, BJP, JD(S), JD(U), CPI and CPM, the BSR Congress, Socialist Democratic Party of India (SDPI), Karnataka Janata Party (KJP), Welfare Party of India (WPI) and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) - which have put up their candidates for the first time - are contesting the polls.

There are 18 Independents in the fray. The newly formed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said though they won’t contest this time, they would support four “credible Independent” candidates.

Though Congress leaders Oscar Fernandes and Janardhana Poojary and BJP leaders D V Sadananda Gowda and Suresh Kumar have been campaigning in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, the poll fever is yet to catch up in the coastal districts. Unlike the previous years, no party is confident of winning the polls.