Belagavi: The elections for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Belagavi Municipal Corporation took place on March 15, marking the third term of the civic body. Both the BJP and Congress strategized intensely, making the contest highly competitive. However, the BJP emerged victorious, with Mangesh Pawar being elected as Mayor and Vani Vilas Joshi as Deputy Mayor.
During the voting process, the election officer permitted a show of hands for casting votes. Pawar secured the position with 40 votes in favor and 5 against, while Joshi received 40 votes, with 19 opposing her appointment. The mayoral race also saw nominations from Basavaraj Maruti Modgalkar (MES), Shahid Khan Pathan (AIMIM), and Raju Bhatkande. For the Deputy Mayor role, Deepali Toppagi, Lakshmi Lokari, and Smt. Khurshid Mulla filed nominations, though Mulla later withdrew.
MLA Abhay Patil played a key role in ensuring Pawar’s victory. Despite facing a disqualification order from regional commissioner S.B. Shettehnavar, Pawar obtained a High Court stay, allowing him to contest. The court also expressed displeasure with the regional commissioner’s decision.
During the proceedings, MP Jagadish Shettar was present, while MLA Abhay Patil voiced concerns over officials allegedly acting under political pressure. He urged them to uphold their responsibilities impartially.
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