Mangaluru: While the single-year terms of Mayor Sudheer Shetty Kannur and his deputy Sunitha will end on September 7, the state government is yet to announce the reservation for the 25th term of the two posts.
Even if the state government announces reservation for the 25th term immediately, the next mayor will continue only up to February 2025 as the council’s five-year term will end then and elections for the council comprising 60 wards will have to be held at the time.
In the 2019 elections, the BJP bagged 44 out of 60 seats, while the Congress had 14 seats and SDPI got two.
Shashidhar Hegde, a senior corporator and former mayor from Congress, noted that the current mayor can continue in power even if the government does not announce reservation.
“However, the four standing committees - Town Planning and Reforms Standing Committee, Public Health and Education Standing Committee, Taxation, Finance and Appeal Standing Committee and Accounts Standing Committee - will be dissolved automatically after September 7. Files from the standing committees need to be tabled during the council meeting,” Hegde said.
The Mayor noted that if the state government does not announce reservation and he continues in his post, he can hold the council meeting.
Shetty is a BJP corporator representing the Kodialbail ward. The post of Mayor for the 24th term was reserved for the general category and the deputy mayor post was reserved for the SC Woman category.
The council was formed after the 2019 election. On February 28, 2020, Diwakar Pandeshwar became the Mayor. He was succeeded by Premanand Shetty in 2021 and Jayanand Anchan in 2022.
Published 02 September 2024, 05:17 IST