Bhaskar Moily elected new Mayor, Mohammad Kunjathbail is Dy Mayor

Mangaluru: Bhaskar K Moily of Congress has been elected as Mangaluru City Mayor in the Mayoral elections held today at the MCC.

Mohammad Kunjathbail from Kunjathbail North (ward no 13) has been elected the Deputy Mayor.

Bhaskar Moily secured 37 votes while BJP’s Surendra got 19 votes. Mohammed Kunjathabail got 37 votes and BJP’s Meera Karkera got 19 votes. Five corporators remained neutral.

A close relative of former CM Veerappa Moily, Bhaskar’s name for the post of Mayor was finalised at a meeting chaired by District in-charge minister Ramanath Rai in the presence of MLA J R Lobo, MLC Ivan D’Souza and outgoing mayor Kavitha Sanil.

As per sources, Bhaskar, a three-time corporator from Kulshekar ward number 36  stood a chance for two reasons. It is said that the CM had directly intervened in the process to back Moily on behest of former CM Veerappa Moily who wanted a man from the Devadiga community to become a mayor. Further, it is also said that Bhasker Moily had stepped back twice in the past when there were chances for him to become the Mayor. These two factors have led to Moily’s election, say insiders.

In MCC, the Congress has a strength of 35 members, BJP has 20 member, JD(S) has two members while the CPI(M), and SDPI have one member each. There is one independent corporator.

Shivayogi C Kalasad, Regional Commissioner Mysuru was the election returning officer.