Disqualified MLAs seek mayor from their constituencies

Ahead of hearing of the state’s disqualified MLAs’ plea in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, the rebel MLA’s from the city on Monday sought the government to select the mayor from any of their constituencies in the mayoral polls scheduled on September 27.

A team of rebel MLAs, comprising S T Somashekhar of Yeshwantpur constituency, Byrathi Basavaraj of KR Pura constituency and N Munirathna of Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency, demanded the BJP-led state government to select any corporator from their constituencies as the mayor.

Disqualified MLA from Rajarajeshwari Nagar N Munirathna said: “It is not a demand but a request from our end. All three of us have requested that the next mayor should be a corporator from any of our constituencies, as this will help our localities get some attention, and thereby development work happens.”

However, the sudden demand has caught the saffron party off guard, as it was dreaming to snatch the post at least for one term in the five-year tenure, which will end in 2020.

Despite emerging as the single largest party, the BJP has failed to taste power with the Congress and JD(S) forging an alliance at the civic body and thus assuming power in past four years.

However, the demand has left BJP’s mayoral aspirants disappointed. The party’s aspirants include Padmanabha Reddy, currently the opposition leader in the BBMP, backed by revenue minister R Ashoka; Corporator Umesh Shetty backed by housing minister V Somanna and Manjunath Raju backed by deputy chief minister Dr Ashwath Narayan.