Mysuru Palike mayoral poll: Siddaramaiah humbled on own turf

The rebel Congress candidate Bhagyavathy was elected as the new mayor of the Mysuru Mahanagara Palike, here in Mysuru on Wednesday.  

Consequently, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been humbled on his own turf by this unexpected outcome.

Siddaramaiah hails from the district and has consistently maintained that he will contest the Assembly polls this year from Varuna constituency in Mysuru district.  

Bhagyavathy bagged 43 votes to beat her rival-- the designated Congress candidate --Kamala Uday.  

JD(S) candidate Indira Mahesh was elected Deputy Mayor.  

Bhagyavathy submitted her nomination as a rebel Congress candidate, once she came to know that the party had chosen  Kamala Uday as the party's designated candidate.  

As a consequence of that move, Bhagyavathy won the support of the  JD(S) and BJP which had entered into a pact. All these happenings  ultimately worked out in Bhagyavathy's favour.    

Congress workers tried in vain to get Bhagyavathy who was sitting with the JD(S) members to sit with them. But she refused to budge.

A heated argument ensued between Congress and JD(S) members.    

There was utter chaos when ministers Tanveer Sait and MLA G T Deve Gowda began a war of words. Congress workers tried to stall the election process.  

For the final period of the incumbent council, the mayoral position is reserved for scheduled caste and the deputy mayoral for scheduled tribe women.  

The final composition of Council

At final count, the 65 member council now has 21 Congress members, 20 JD(S) members and 13 BJP members. The other parties share the 11 other seats.