Mayor elections: How BJP tried to wrestle for power

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) mayor elections were held amidst high drama that prevailed in the council hall on Friday.

In order to get the power, the BJP leaders tried with all their might to woo independent candidates, who were supporting the Congress earlier.

They needed nine votes to reach the magic number 130.

KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao on Thursday had alleged that the BJP had ‘kidnapped’ two independent candidates: S Anand Kumar from Hoysala Nagar and Ramesh from Marathahalli.

On Friday morning, Anand was seen at Padmanabha Reddy’s office. When the Congress leaders brought him to the council hall, BJP leaders, including MLA Sathish Reddy, SR Vishwanath, Padmanabha Reddy and V Balakrishna, barged in to bring him back to their party.

But senior Congress leaders Krishna Byre Gowda, Byrathi Basavaraj, NA Harris, Munirathna, Mohammad Rizwan Nawab, Abdul Wajid, S Venkatesh did not even allow BJP to reach out to Anand.

READ: Congress' Gangambike is Bengaluru mayor

A physical scuffle emerged between both party leaders and the Regional Commissioner Shivayogi Kalsad had to intervene to maintain order in the hall.

“The voters should maintain peace and calmness in the council hall and return to their seats,” Kalsad was seen giving instructions multiple times, though nobody paid heed.

He even warned saying that the BBMP is telecasting the mayor polls ‘Live’ through Web-telecast and people all over the world will be watching it.”

But, things fell on deaf ears.

Later, Anand stood on a table and said, “I am not coming with you” to BJP leaders. Yet, the leaders did not stop and tried to wrestle.

In the meantime, the Congress leaders also tried to call Ramesh back, who was sitting with BJP leaders. They even removed his scarf that he had put around his neck and this enraged the BJP leaders.

Meanwhile, JD(S) councillors Manjula Narayanswamy and K Devdas were seen with the BJP leaders.

Even Mamatha Saravana, independent corporator from Halasuru ward, and who was earlier associated with Congress, was seen with the BJP.

This scuffle went on for about an hour before the polls. In the end, the BJP boycotted the election process. While Manjula Narayanswamy and Devdas returned to JD(S) and even cast their votes for the Congress-JD(S) coalition, Ramesh boycotted the polls along with the BJP.