Vijayapura: After winning 17 seats in the recently held City Corporation election, the BJP is ready to have its own Mayor and Deputy Mayor as the party claims to have the support of at least three independent Corporators.
The BJP needs only one Corporator to gain a majority in the 35-member City Corporation. The party failed to get a clear majority in the election.
Though BJP has emerged as the single largest party but fell short by one seat for a clear majority in the city corporation polls. A party needs to win 18 out of 35 wards to claim the Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts of the City Corporation.
In the results declared on Monday November 1, the BJP registered a thumping victory in 17 wards, Congress managed to win 10 wards, AIMIM won in two wards, JD (S) won in just one ward and the remaining five wards were triumphed by independent candidates, where three of the winners are BJP rebel candidates.
Sumitra Jadhav, newly elected Corporator of ward no 17, has announced her support to the saffron party. With this development, the leaders of the BJP claimed that they have enough numbers to claim the throne of the City Corporation.
Speaking to mediapersons, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, MLA of the City, said, “The development works and the agenda of Hindutva have helped BJP emerge as the single largest party in the City Corporation polls. We might have fallen short of one seat but have got the support of the independent corporators.”
“An independent Corporator has declared allegiance to our party. Another two independent corporators are likely to declare their alliance with the BJP. It is cent per cent that our party will be at the helm of the City Corporation for the next five years. Even both Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts will be headed by our party corporators,” reiterated Yatnal.
Among the five independent corporators, three are BJP rebel corporators. Sumitra Jadhav is the only independent Corporator that has publicly declared an alliance with the BJP whereas the remaining two are yet to announce their support to the saffron cadre.
Meanwhile Congress MLA and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Campaign Committee c Chairman, M. B. Patil has blamed the ruling BJP for the Congress’s poor performance.
Patil said that in City Corporation polls, the State Government announced reservations for the wards and performed delimitation as per their party needs. Due to the tactical ward-wise reservation, the BJP gains upper hand, he said.
“However, I congratulate our party candidates for their excellent performance. I thank the voters for ensuring the victory of 10 corporators in the City Corporation polls. I also thank all the leaders, party officials and well-wishers for working tirelessly during the Corporation polls,” added Patil.
