Udupi: ZP Elections - Upendra Nayak of BJP Elected President
Pics: Hemanath Padubidrir
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi(SM)
Udupi, Jan 4: Upendra Nayak and Mamata R Shetty, both of BJP, were elected the new president and vice-president of the Udupi zilla panchayat, respectively, here on Friday January 4. The posts had remained vacant since October, when faction-ridden politics marred the elections leading to inordinate delay.
Regional election commissioner M V Jayanti declared the winners. In all, 25 members were present in the house. BJP won with 15 votes while Congress secured nine votes.
K Diwakar from Congress, Upendra Nayak from BJP, and Babu Shetty and Prakash Mendon from rebel BJP group (supporters of Halady Srinivas Shetty) filed nominations for the post of ZP president . Later, the rebel group withdrew their nomination.
Suprita Deepak Shetty from Congress, and Mamata Shetty and Indira Shetty from BJP filed nominations for the post vice-president, but Indira Shetty withdrew later.
The 15 BJP members included Upendra Nayak, Katapadi Shankar Poojary, Udhaya Kotian, Arun Shetty, Geethanjali Suvarna, Mamtha Harish, Saviths Shivanath Kotian, Babu Shetty, Gouri Devadiga, Prakash Mendon, Mamata R Shetty, Rashwat Shetty, Jyoti S Shetty, Sunita P Rajaram and Sriyan. Sunitha Rajaram was absent due to personal reasons.
The members from Congress included Ananth Mawadi, Gopi Nayak, Malika, Malika Ashok, Diwakar Kundar, Ida Gibba, Manjunath, Supreeth Shetty and Suprita Deepak Poojary.
Udaykumar Shetty, district BJP president and others congratulated the winners.
Commissioner M V Jayanti said the president and vice-president will reign from January 4, 2013 to June 8, 2014.
The post of the president was open for a candidate from general category. The post of vice-president was reserved for backward class “B” woman candidate.
The election was supposed to be conducted on October 4, for which neither the members of the ruling BJP nor the rebel factions of the BJP turned up. Only nine members from Congress were present, and hence election commissioner M V Jayanthi had to postpone the meeting to October 12 due to lack of quorum. The matter then went to high court, which ordered a stay, resulting in the posts remaining vacant till now.
Addressing the media after winning the election, ZP president Upendra Nayak said that by the end of this financial year Rs 309 crore will be used for the development of the district and that he would make sure that it is done within three months. "We want Udupi to be a role model to the state in all ways," he said.
He blamed Congress for the delay in elections and said that BJP patched up and was ready for election on October 12, but Congress members took the matter to the High Court, challenging the decision of the commission to postpone the meeting
"Even this time they attempted to repeat the same but the court rejected their appeal," he said.
As far as future plans are concerned, he said that he would concentrate more on providing drinking water facilities, road construction and education.
"BJP is one. We do not have any rebel group in our party. Halady Srinivas Shetty is our leader and we believe he will not guide us in the wrong direction. Development of the district is our goal," said vice-president Mamtha R Shetty.