Mayor, deputy have strong backers in their husbands

Behind every successful woman corporator, there is the support of a politically strong husband.

So say people observing the better half of Gangambike Mallikarjun of the Congress and her deputy Ramila Umashankar of the JD(S), respectively elected as the mayor and deputy mayor on Friday by the BBMP council.

There is little secret in the fact that 102 of the 198 woman corporators in the council have strong backing of their spouses to win the elections.

Gangambike had a relatively unhindered ascend to power, given that her husband B Mallikarjun holds a degree in Engineering with business interests like event management and real estate. To top it all, he has also been a follower of a powerful city-based politician.

“He has been a strong supporter of (senior Congress leader) Ramalinga Reddy and has been with him for over a decade,” said a source from the Opposition benches.

“Mallikarjun has no criminal background and has never contested an election so far, but has been active in politics. He also actively worked in the Jayanagar constituency to ensure the victory of Soumya Reddy during the bypolls,” a source added.

Ramila’s husband D Umashankar holds a diploma in civil engineering and served as a corporator from the Kottigepalya ward in 2000. Sources said he has been a strong follower of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy. “He runs a real estate business in the city and is a former president of the JD(S) OBC cell in Bengaluru,” a source said.

Umashankar is also the founder chairman of the Vidya Spoorti International Academy in Dabaspet near Nelamangala.

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