Corporators, ex-mayors in race to contest Assembly polls

Nearly a dozen BBMP corporators, including Mayor R Sampath Raj, and several former mayors are planning to contest the upcoming Assembly  elections in the hope of propelling their  political career.  

Former mayors G Padmavathi, J Hucchappa (both Congress) and B S Sathyanarayana (BJP) are said to be  lobbying for tickets to contest the polls. While Padmavathi and Hucchappa want to contest from Rajajinagar and Malleswaram constituencies, respectively, Sathyanarayana is eyeing the Basavanagudi seat.

Sampath Raj, the Devara Jeevanahalli (DJ Halli) corporator, is learnt to have sought a Congress ticket to contest from Pulakeshinagar. When contacted, however, he denied being in the race. He reasoned that being the mayor,  it would be too much for him to seek the Assembly ticket.  "Only the chief minister and the KPCC president can take a call on these matters," he added.

Padmavathi, a Congress corporator from Prakash Nagar, suggested that  she be given  the ticket considering her "seniority and performance". "As the mayor, I worked 365 days without taking a day off. I have done well.  I am very senior  and have every right to seek a ticket," she added.

K Poornima, the BJP corporator from  KR Puram, has sought the ticket from Hiriyur, Chitradurga. She chose Hiriyur  as her father, the late A Krishnappa, had contested the 2013 polls from this constituency and lost by  a narrow margin.  

The JD(S) is said to have decided to field two of its corporators - Padarayanapura Corporator Imran Pasha against its rebel MLA, B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, in Chamrajpet, and  BTM Layout Corporator K Devadas  against  Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy in BTM Layout.  

M Gautham Kumar, a  two-time BJP corporator from Jogupalya, aspires to contest from Shanthinagar, while two Congress corporators - Abdul Rakib Zakir (Pulakeshinagar) and Abdul Wajid (Manorayanapalya) - are vying with each other to get the ticket to contest from  Hebbal.  

BJP Corporator from Govindrajnagar, Umesh Shetty, hopes that the party would recognise his hard work and field him from the Govindrajnagar constituency.  

DH News Service