New Bengaluru mayor to get ‘silver key' to city

The ensuing polls to the mayoral post will commence a new tradition of a ‘silver key to the city’.

The symbolic key to the city and baton will be handed over to the new mayor by the outgoing mayor when he assumes the office.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike in its 2018–19 Budget proposed the new tradition. It had also been proposed that the new commissioner can assume the office after being handed over a book on the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976.

According to the BBMP sources, the civic body has spent around Rs 17 lakh on the silver key, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda statue, baton and a silver box, which will be used to carry the Budget book. “The silver materials, including symbolic key, are ready. They will be handed over before the mayoral election,” a BBMP official said. Mayor R Sampath Raj said: “the tradition is introduced to keep the sanctity of the city’s respected post.