Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Sep 28: Amid high drama, Congress corporator Gangambike Mallikarjun was elected as the new Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) mayor and JD(S) corporator Ramila Umashankar was elected as the deputy mayor on Friday, September 28.
Gangambike Mallikarjun the corporator of Jayanagar Ward became the 52nd mayor of Bengaluru after 130 voted in her favour while Ramila Umashankar corporator of Cauverypura ward received 129 votes.
BJP nominees Prathibha Dhanaraj and Shobha Anjanappa lost and 130 voted against them.
Gangambike Mallikarjun (L) and Ramila Umashankar
Out of the 259 corporators, only 253 signed for voting. The electoral office had earlier decided to withdraw the voting rights of corporators, who delayed the election. However, the decision was reversed after voting rights of CR Manohar, VS Ugrappa, Jairam Ramesh and Raghu Achar were restored.
During the course of voting, Congress and BJP fought over voting rights of their party members. BJP leaders after being convinced that they are losing the election, boycotted and walked out of the council hall.
The electoral officer presiding over the voting disqualified votes of six Congress members - Roshan Baig, S Asha Suresh, Lalitha Thimmananjaiah, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister Ananthakumar, Najeem Khanam - for not signing the attendance. Peenya Industrial Area Ward corporator Lalitha Thimmananjaiah’s vote was rejected as she attended the meeting late.
Corporators shifted to resort
Ahead of the mayor and deputy mayor elections of the BBMP, five independent corporators were shifted to a resort by the Congress on late Thursday night to avoid poaching attempts by the BJP. MLAs ST Somashekar and Munirathna were deputed to keep five independent MLAs under watch, as two independent MLAs switched loyalties to the BJP.
BJP single largest party in 2015 BBMP elections
The BJP had emerged as the single largest party in the 2015 BBMP council by winning 100 seats. The Congress had come second with 75 seats, while JD(S) bagged 15 seats. The JD(S) and Congress formed a coalition with the support of seven other independent corporators.
Though the term of the municipal council is five years, the mayor and deputy mayor have a term of 11 months.
The mayor and deputy mayor are elected by an electoral college comprising of corporators, MLAs, MLCs and MPs who are the voters in city.
The election was held as the term of previous BBMP mayor Sampath Raj and deputy mayor Padmavathi Narasimhamurthy ended on Thursday.