Mangalore: BJP Unlikely to Choose Woman Mayor
The Hindu
MANGALORE, Jan 29: Who will be the next Mayor and the Deputy Mayor of Mangalore?
With the Government clearing the decks for electing the Mayor and his deputy at the corporation council by announcing the reservations, discussions over the choice of candidate have begun in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) circles here.
The party has been voted to power in the council for the first time here.
Reservation
The post of Mayor of Mangalore City Corporation has been reserved for Backward Class-A and that of Deputy Mayor for a woman from Backward Class-B category. Candidates elected from Mogaveera, Billava, Ganiga, Kulal, Madivala, Rama Kshatriya and Devadiga castes are eligible for Mayor’s post and candidates belonging to Bunts caste or Christian community can be Deputy Mayor.
Multiple choice
The party has many candidates to choose from for the post of Mayor. Of them, some have been elected for the third time and some for the second time. But there is only one candidate for the post of Deputy Mayor. Shakeela Kava, elected from Padavu West ward (ward number 21), who belongs to Bunt caste, will be the next Deputy Mayor, in all likelihood.
Dilemma
Will the party opt for a first-time councillor for the Mayor? The sources said, such a possibility was not ruled out. “When the party has made a first-time MLA as Minister in the face of having two MLAs in the district elected for the third time, anything can happen,” a senior party leader told The Hindu. He was referring to B. Nagaraja Shetty who was a minister during the BJP-Janata Dal (Secular) rule.
K. Naveenchandra elected from Kambla (ward 29), Rajani Dugganna from Hosabettu (ward 8), K. Revathi from Surathkal West (ward 1), and Ganesha Hosabettu from Kulai (ward 9) are stated to be main contenders for the post of Mayor.
It is said that since the post of Deputy Mayor is reserved for a woman candidate, the party is unlikely to choose another woman for Mayor’s post.
Consideration
Ganesh Hosabettu has entered the council for the first time. He had served as secretary of Dakshina Kannada unit of the BJP and president of Surathakal Assembly committee of the party.
Naveenchandra has been elected for the second time. In the election held in September last, he secured 1,496 votes against 283 votes of his nearest rival from Congress M. Devadas. The latter lost his deposit in the election. Mr. Naveenchandra, although from Backward Class-A category, contested the election from Kambla ward as a general candidate.
Dugganna and Revathi have been elected to the council for the third time from their wards reserved for Backward Class A.
There are nine other candidates elected from the wards reserved for Backward Class-A category. They are: Sharath Kumar (Kunjatbail North ward), Madhu Kiran (Kunjatbail South), Sarojini Kotiyan (Bolur), Padmanabha (Kodiyalbail), Surekha Srinivas (Central Market), Rajendra (Dongarakeri), Mohan Padil (Alape North), Rajashree (Bolar) and Shakuntala D Karkera (Bengre).