Election to Mysuru’s mayor, dy mayor’s post in November third week?

Mysuru: The Karnataka urban development department is expected to finalise the dates for the election of the mayor and deputy mayor of Mysuru this weekend. Sources in the department said that the two posts are likely to be filled by the end of November third week.
Sources privy to developments in the department said that all corporators, and members of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) council, which includes MLAs from those constituencies falling under the civic body’s limits and the MPs from the city, will be informed ten days prior to the election. “The Mysuru regional commissioner is expected to set the ball rolling on the process by this weekend. The department has already started the process. After Deepavali, we will issue a formal notification in this regard,” an official in the urban development department said.

Elections to the MCC council were held on August 31, and the results announced on September 4. Although BJP emerged as the single largest party in the council, winning 22 seats, the Congress, with 19 corporators and the JD(S), with 18, came together to make a bid for the mayor’s post. Besides the three main parties in the state, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) bagged one seat, while Independents triumphed in five wards.

This year, the post of the mayor has been reserved for a woman (general category) and the deputy mayor’s post for an individual from BC (A) category. Officials in the urban development department confirmed that no changes would be made to the reservation for the mayor and deputy mayor’s posts.

On the other hand, Congress is hopeful of staking claim for the mayor’s post. Party spokesperson HA Venkatesh told TOI that former chief minister Siddaramaiah had assured the Congress corporators of the mayor’s post being earmarked for a member of the party. “He will take the final decision on whom to appoint as the mayor. The district leadership of the party, the MLAs and corporators want a Congress member nominated to the post,” Venkatesh said.

Meanwhile, BJP corporators said that they are waiting to see how the events unfold over the next ten days. “The JD(S)-Congress alliance in the assembly will collapse after November 6. We will wait till the last minute to see how the elections to the mayor’s and deputy mayor’s post go,” said Krishnaraja MLA SA Ramadas.