Mangalore: BJP's Ganesh Hosabettu Elected Mayor, Shakila Kava Deputy

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (MM/RD)
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje

Mangalore, Feb 21: Ganesh Hosabettu of ward number 9 has been elected mayor of Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) on Thursday February 21 for the next one year. Shakila Kava of ward number 21 has been elected deputy mayor.

The MCC meeting was held on February 21, nearly four and half months after the MCC poll results were declared. BJP had come to power in MCC for the first time after defeating the ruling Congress party. 

The state political developments had affected the mayoral poll process in MCC for more than four months. Governor Rameshwar Thakur a took long time to declare reservation for all the local bodies in the state.

Finally, mayor's post was reserved for backward class ‘A’ and deputy mayor’s post was reserved for women backward class ‘B.’ Although Navinchandra of BJP was selected as mayor in the initial rounds,  BJP decided to select a candidate from the Mogaveera community. This helped Ganesh Hosabettu to become mayor.

Regional municipal commissioner Dhananjay was the election officer who oversaw the mayoral polls on Thursday. Despite the fact that defeat was certain, Congress had fielded its candidates for both mayor and deputy mayor’s posts to show their party strength. Ashok Kumar and Jacinta Boremayo competed for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor, respectively. 

Ganesh Hosabettu and Shakila Kava won the elections with a difference of 38-20. Three corporators remained neutral during the election and one corporator was absent in the MCC meeting, making up a total strength of 60 corporators. Meanwhile, Udupi MP Manorama Madhwaraj and MLC Capt Ganesh Karnik voted for Ganesh Hosabettu. Mariamma Thomas, for whom the BJP denied ticket to contest the polls, voted for Ganesh Hosabettu and Shakila Kava. She won the MCC election as independent candidate.

Hundreds of BJP activists were present outside the MCC building who later celebrated the victory of Ganesh Hosabettu as mayor by bursting firecrackers and dancing in front of the MCC building.

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