Mayoral polls: JD(S), BJP to retain ties to ascend power

Post Dasara, the focus has shifted on Mysore City Corporation (MCC) for the Mayoral polls scheduled on October 9. Like the previous year, Janata Dal (Secular) and BJP have decided to continue with their alliance, with the common intention of keeping Congress at bay.

A week ago, the city corporation received a notification from the Urban Development department, fixing the Mayor’s post for general category and Deputy Mayor’s post for general (woman).

Following this, both JD(S) and BJP convened a separate meeting of its corporators to elicit their opinions on maintaining the truck with each other, and also to keep the flock together, irrespective of the aspirants. JD(S) will contest for Mayor’s seat and BJP for Deputy Mayor’s post.

JD(S) corporators who met under the joint leadership of K R Nagar MLA Sa Ra Mahesh, Chamundeshwari MLA G T Devegowda and H D Kote MLA Chikkamadu, also resolved to work for the victory of the candidate, whosoever, announced by the party high command. The high command is expected to take a call on the candidate on the poll eve, said a corporator.

JD(S) corporators- R Lingappa representing Ward 20, K T Chaluvegowda (Ward 27) and M J Ravikumar (Ward 35) have emerged as the strong contenders for the Mayor’s seat. Both Lingappa and Chaluvegowda are considered as senior most, for being in the council for the fourth term, while Ravikumar is serving his second stint as corporator. 

In the BJP camp, senior corporator Mahadevamma (Ward 63) and Vanitha Prasanna (Ward 65) are the aspirants for the Deputy Mayor post. Mahadevamma is the third time corporator, while  Vanitha is enjoying her second term in a row. Congress is still undecided on its candidates, as it may have to contest the polls only for namesake.

In the 64 member Council, Congress has the highest of 21 corporators, after it was reduced from the earlier 22, following the resignation of Corporator Manjula Manasa (Ward 15) upon her nomination to State Women’s Commission as its Chairperson.

It is closely followed by JD(S) which has 20 corporators, and BJP- 12. While Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has two corporators, BSR Congress and KJP have one each, followed by seven Independent corporators.

Among other elected representatives like MLAs, MLCs and MP who are listed as voters for mayoral polls too, JD(S) has two MLCs- Sandesh Nagaraj and Marithibbegowda and one MLA G T Devegowda; Congress has three MLAs- Tanveer Sait, M K Somashekar and Vasu, and MLC R Dharmasena; and BJP has lone MLC Madhusudhan and MP Prathap Simha, taking the total number of voters, including corporators and other elected representatives, to 73.