New mayor Kavitha Sanil is karateka with many feats

Has dream plan for building town hall at Surathkal

Kavitha Sanil, the newly-elected mayor of Mangaluru, on Thursday listed her priority for computerisation of Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC), besides giving impetus for improving basic infrastructural facilities and collection of tax arrears in the city.

Speaking to reporters, Sanil said she has several plans in her mind for the betterment of the city. Her dream plan is to build a town hall at Surathkal, she said. However, she preferred to make all her plans for the city public in about a week’s time. She owed her victory in mayoral poll to Goddesses Kateel Sri Durgaparameshwari and Chamundeshwari, besides District In-charge Minister B Ramanath Rai and a host of other elected representatives from the party.

A BCom graduate from Beasant Women’s College in the city, she is also a karateka with a blackbelt—winning many local, national and international tournaments.

Deputy mayor Rajaneesh is also a BCom graduate from SJRC College in Bengaluru.

Road clear
Much before the mayoral polls on Thursday, Sanil, who had emerged as a front runner, was seen exchanging pleasantries with the people on the corridors of the Mangala Auditorium. On the eve of the election on Wednesday, she had succeeded in pipping fellow corporator Prathibha Kulai who was vying for the post by one vote, during the preliminary polls conducted at Congress party office.

With the road to the mayor’s office becoming clear, Sanil was all smiles as she walked into the election arena. While Sanil had filed her nomination papers, Kulai obviously refrained following the outcome of the prelims.

Headed panel
Sanil had served as the chairperson of the standing committee on public health during the tenure of immediate previous council headed by her predecessor mayor Harinath and had earned both accolades and brickbats.

She had once rebelled against the party after winning her maiden election to the city corporation held in 2002 from Marakada constituency, the one reason that had almost ended her run for the mayor’s post, but for the blessings of Minister Rai. Though one of the two city MLAs had reservations about backing Sanil, finally the latter managed to sail all odds.