Jayanagar, Shanthinagar corporators eye mayor’s post

With just two days to go for the Mayoral polls, leaders in the Congress party vied to capture the coveted position with corporators from Jayanagar and Shantinagar in the lead.

On Wednesday, top Congress leaders Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, former Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah, minister KJ George, KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao and MLA Ramalinga Reddy held a meeting at a hotel to finalise the party’s candidate.

Sources said Jayanagar corporator Gangambike Mallikarjun remains a strong prospect with endorsement from senior leaders like Shamanur Shivashankarappa and Ramalinga Reddy. They said she has wider support of the Lingayat community as well.

Sowmya Shivakumar, who hails from the Vokkaliga community, is backed up by NA Haris and other senior leaders.

A senior Congress leader said the final decision on the Mayoral position will be made on Thursday.

Meanwhile, JD(S) corporator Ramila Umashankar from Kaveripura ward is competing with Netra Narayan from Kaval Bairasandra, also the leader of the party in BBMP council, for the Deputy Mayor’s post allocated to the junior partner in the coalition.

On Wednesday morning, Ramalinga Reddy held a meeting at his residence where Sowmya Shivakumar was also present. Sowmya told reporters that she urged senior Congress leaders to support her candidacy. “I’ll accept their decision, which’ll be based on seniority of the corporator,” Sowmya added.

The Mayoral election will take place on Friday.

As race for his successor heated up, incumbent R Sampath Raj took his support staff for a lunch treat on Wednesday.

The Mayor drove to MTR restaurant in Lalbagh Road for the lunch with the staff, including his driver, dafedar, security personnel and personal assistants.

“They served me for the past one year and so, I’ve dedicated one day for them and took them to the restaurant,” Raj said.