Daijiworld News Network - Mangalore (GA)

Mangalore, Jul 13: Despite protest from Congress party and especially from women corporators, the state government has changed the reservation criteria for the mayoral post.

The reservation for the mayoral post has been changed to general category from general lady category.  At the same time the reservation criteria for deputy mayor's post too has been changed to general (women) from category A.

As reported earlier Congress had criticized the in-charge minister Nagaraj Shetty for writing to government to reconsider the reservation policy.  Even the lady corporators representing Congress had opposed this move by the minister.  Mayor K Ashraf had accused BJP of neglecting the credentials of women.

Now that the reservation criteria has been changed, Congress has a stiffer challenge ahead to prove that they abide by their much publicized policy of giving equal chance to women in administration.  Since the mayor's post is open even for men in the revised reservation policy, it has to be seen as how Congress will deal with it.  Moreover, if a lady is elected mayor, then for the second time in MCC history that both mayor and deputy will be women as the deputy mayor's post has already been general (women).

Mayoral elections are scheduled to take place on Monday July 24.