BBMP all set to welcome Mayor

The new batch of 198 councillors will be entering the Palike on Friday to represent the people of Bangalore.

Subsequently, the elections to the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be conducted in the same session.

Hectic last-minute preparations were on inside the Council building where the Palike officials left no stone unturned to ensure a smooth beginning to a new chapter of people’s representation in the City.

The Mayor’s chamber, which served as the BBMP Administrator’s cabin for the past four years, was being revamped and new furniture were being placed. The Administrator’s desk and other things were being banished to remote corners in the BBMP hall. Elected corporators were streaming in and out of the BBMP Council doing last minute checks of their seats inside and trying to familiarise themselves with the officials with whom they will be working for the rest of their tenure.

Polishing of furniture, replacing the old and broken chairs in various rooms and lighting inside the BBMP head office were all being checked by authorities. The Mayor and the Deputy Mayor’s seats on the dias were being double checked for any problems and newer tables were being placed for the seating of the Council staff.

With as many as 250 representatives, including 198 corporators, 28 MLAs, 11 MLCs, eight Rajya Sabha MPs and five MPs from Lok Sabha, all privy to sit for the Council sessions, the BBMP council is expected to be overcrowded. With seating capacity increased, it may be a hard task to fit all the members apart from the council staff, BBMP officials and the media representatives in the BBMP hall.

However, respite may be there for the people inside the Council as the BJP has a comfortable majority at the Council and may not call upon their Vidhan Soudha representatives for support during voting on various local body issues.