Mangaluru: There are two MLAs within the Mangaluru City Corporation limits and their role in the election of the Mayor is also important. The MLAs and Leaders also held discussions with BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, who is also the State President, on the selection of the Mayor and a final decision was likely to have been taken on Wednesday September 7. The decision will be announced at the time of filing of nominations on the Friday September 9 morning.
The Mayor’s post is reserved for the General Category and the Deputy Mayor’s post is reserved for a woman from the Backward Class. With Assembly Elections due next year, there are discussions on political experience, full control over the Mahanagara Palike and making a candidate who runs with full dedication during the elections as Mayor. With experience and ability, ward and caste calculations are also being compared.
This time the Mayor’s post is reserved for the general category and the deputy mayor’s post is reserved for a woman from the backward class. Hence, all corporators are eligible to become Mayors. As BJP is the ruling party, Sudheer Shetty Kannur, Kiran Kodikal, Jayananda and Sharath are the prominent candidates in the race for Mayor. The candidate from Mangaluru City South was the Mayor for the previous two terms. That too is likely to be taken into account.
Reservation for the next 24th term has already been announced and that too is being calculated in the present selection. The Deputy Mayor’s election will be held effortlessly and the candidate selection has almost been finalised.
In November 12, 2019 Municipal Elections, the BJP had won 44 of the 60 wards. The Congress had won 14 seats and the SDPI had won two seats. Diwakar Pandeshwar was elected as Mayor and Janaki, Vedavathi as Deputy Mayors for the first term in the elections held on February 29, 2020. Premananda Shetty was elected as Mayor and Sumangala Rao as Deputy Mayor in the second term on March 2, 2021.
Though the Mayor-Deputy Mayor election was scheduled for March this year, the election was also put on hold due to reservation issues elsewhere. Premananda Shetty and Sumangala Rao’s term continued for the next six months.
Mysuru Divisional Officer will hold election on September 9.
