JOIN USAs anticipated, Janata Dal (Secular) and BJP combine retained power for the consecutive second year in the elections to Mayor and Deputy Mayor, held here on Thursday.
R Lingappa of JD(S) from Ward 20, was elected as Mayor and M Mahadevamma of BJP, from Ward 63 was elected as Deputy Mayor.
Lingappa secured 40 votes against his lone rival R Ananthu of Congress, who had to be satisfied with 27 votes. While Mahadevamma polled 39 votes against BSR Congress’ Sameera Jabeena’s 27 votes. The Mayor’s post was reserved for general, and Deputy Mayor for general (woman).
Lingappa succeeded in emerging victorious securing the combined votes of 37, which included votes of two Independents R Ravindra Kumar (Ward 41) and Shivamma (Ward 64), besides B L Bhyrappa (Ward 12) of KJP that has already merged with BJP.
Interestingly, Congress fielded Sameera Jabeena of BSR Congress representing Ward 3 in MCC, for deputy mayor’s seat, though it had other eligible corporators to contest the same. The party was also aware of the fact that it didn’t have sufficient numbers to win, when compared to JD(S)-BJP alliance.
In the 65 member council that was later reduced to 64, following the resignation of Congress corporator Manjula Manasa of Ward 15, Congress has the highest of 21 corporators, followed by JD(S)-20, BJP-12, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI)-three, Karnataka Janatha Party (KJP) and BSR Congress (one each), and six Independents.
Of the total 73 voters, including 64 corporators and nine other elected representatives, two corporators Channappa (Ward eight) and Suhail Baig (Ward 43) both Independents remained absent. Congress MLA Tanveer Sait too didn’t turn up.
Regional Commissioner Rashmi V Mahesh who was also the returning officer conducted the elections. The corporators and other elected representatives including MLAs, MLCs and MP were asked to raise their hands in support and opposition to the candidates, as and when the candidates names were put to vote. Earlier, when the poll process began with the filing of the papers, Lingappa filed his nomination in two sets, while Ananthu had filed only one set of his nomination.
Mayor’s priority
The newly elected Mayor R Lingappa on Thursday asserted that he would give priority to keep the drains clean in the city, besides developmental works pertaining to road, water and electricity, the three main duties of the city corporation.
Speaking to the media after his election to the coveted seat, Lingappa promised to focus on drains in the wake of a tragic incident involving a nine-year-old girl who was washed away in overflowing drain during the recent rainfall in Bangalore.
He vowed to work irrespective of party affiliations by taking everybody into confidence. He also thanked the party supremo H D Deve Gowda, MLAs H D Kumaraswamy, Sa Ra Mahesh, G T Devegowda and other legislators including BJP for supporting his candidature. Newly elected Deputy Mayor M Mahadevamma endorsed the Mayor.