Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)

Udupi, Apr 27: Dinakar Babu and Sheela K Shetty, both from BJP, were on Wednesday April 27 elected president and vice-president, respectively, of Udupi zilla panchayat (ZP).

The post of ZP president was reserved to a person from SC/ST community and that of the vice-president was reserved for a woman candidate from general category.

Dinakar, who had contested and won the recent ZP polls from Udyavar, was elected the president unanimously. Sheela Shetty had won the polls from Brahmavar. The BJP had won the ZP polls by garnering 20 seats as against 6 by Congress.

Addressing reporters after the elections, Dinakar Babu said he would emphasize more on rural development. "For the proper implementation of government programmes, it is necessary that gram, taluk and zilla panchayats are developed. We have a lot of responsibility and we must respond to people's grievances. I will chart out development plans as per as needs and demands of the people.

"We will educate people on ZP programmes by bringing out a handbook. I will give more importance to solving drinking water problem, rainwater harvesting, solid waste management, skill development - and on providing clean and transparent administration," he said.

Sheela Shetty also said that she would focus more on solving drinking water problems.

Dinakar Babu comes from a poor family and had been working as a night watchman at a playground. He then worked for four years as a driver to a government project director. He is known to have good knowledge about government schemes and programmes. He has been a BJP party worker for 22 years.

Sheela Shetty had won the ZP polls in a tough fight in the Brahmavar constituency. She has been in the BJP for past 32 years and is one of the seniormost party members. She is the president of Udupi BJP Mahila Morcha and was earlier the president of BJP Mahila Morcha in the undivided Dakshina Kannada for two terms. She runs Srinidhi Yakshagana Mahila troupe in Yermal and is herself an artiste, poet and writer. She contested the ZP polls in 1995 and 2000 from Kaup and once from Padubidri in 2005, but lost all three times.

The ZP president and vice-president were later felicitated at the BJP office in the presence of district BJP president Thingale Vikramarjuna Hegde, MLC Capt Ganesh Karnik and other leaders.