MANGALURU: The urban development department has cleared the decks for the election of a new city mayor. A direction from the principal secretary to the commissioner, Mangaluru City Corporation, on February 3, to proceed with the election to the post of mayor and deputy mayor as per the reservation roster for the 21st term dated September 3, 2018, has set to rest doubts about confusion that prevailed on the roster that the civic body had to follow.
Accordingly, the mayor will now be a candidate from BCM ‘A’ category and deputy mayor a woman from the general category.
The February 3 letter reminded Shanady Ajith Kumar Hegde, the commissioner, that the civic body was yet to conduct an election for the posts as per the roster for the 21st term, and the same must be followed. The principal secretary also directed Hegde to take steps to ensure that the elections to the posts are conducted forthwith.
The confusion arose when the BJP government on December 26, 2019, issued the reservation roster for the post of mayor and deputy mayor for 11 city corporations, including Mangaluru, for the 22nd term. The officials were in a dilemma on going ahead with the elections with the reservation that reserved the post of mayor for the general category and that of deputy mayor for general woman candidate, as MCC was yet to hold elections as per the roster for the 21st term.
Ajith Kumar Hegde said based on directions from the principal secretary, MCC on Tuesday has written a letter to the regional commissioner, Mysuru, to fix the date for the elections. It is now up to the regional commissioner to take forward the election process, he said.
BJP swept the elections to the 60-member council held on November 12, winning 44 wards and relegating the ruling Congress to 14 wards. Social Democratic Party of India won two seats.
Dr Y Bharath Shetty, Mangaluru City North MLA, told TOI that the party will take a call on the mayoral candidate once the regional commissioner notifies the election date. Asserting that no names have been finalised, Dr Shetty said the party will strive to meet the assurances given to the electorate in the party manifesto, and provide a clean and transparent administration. This is for the second time in MCC’s history that the BJP has come to power.
Accordingly, the mayor will now be a candidate from BCM ‘A’ category and deputy mayor a woman from the general category.
The February 3 letter reminded Shanady Ajith Kumar Hegde, the commissioner, that the civic body was yet to conduct an election for the posts as per the roster for the 21st term, and the same must be followed. The principal secretary also directed Hegde to take steps to ensure that the elections to the posts are conducted forthwith.
The confusion arose when the BJP government on December 26, 2019, issued the reservation roster for the post of mayor and deputy mayor for 11 city corporations, including Mangaluru, for the 22nd term. The officials were in a dilemma on going ahead with the elections with the reservation that reserved the post of mayor for the general category and that of deputy mayor for general woman candidate, as MCC was yet to hold elections as per the roster for the 21st term.
Ajith Kumar Hegde said based on directions from the principal secretary, MCC on Tuesday has written a letter to the regional commissioner, Mysuru, to fix the date for the elections. It is now up to the regional commissioner to take forward the election process, he said.
BJP swept the elections to the 60-member council held on November 12, winning 44 wards and relegating the ruling Congress to 14 wards. Social Democratic Party of India won two seats.
Dr Y Bharath Shetty, Mangaluru City North MLA, told TOI that the party will take a call on the mayoral candidate once the regional commissioner notifies the election date. Asserting that no names have been finalised, Dr Shetty said the party will strive to meet the assurances given to the electorate in the party manifesto, and provide a clean and transparent administration. This is for the second time in MCC’s history that the BJP has come to power.
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