Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK/SB/SP)

Mangaluru, Mar 30: Chaos prevailed at the general session of the city corporation council held on Thursday March 30. This was the first general session of the city corporation convened after Kavita Sanil became city mayor.

In the very first session she chaired as mayor, Kavita encountered dharna by Nagaveni, recently-elected chairperson of standing committee on health, education and social justice. Nagaveni, who was incensed at the fact that she had not been invited for the city corporation programme slated to be held at town hall on Friday, squatted in front of the mayor's chamber.

Accusing the mayor of 'autocratic' behaviour, Nagaveni said that without bringing to her knowledge, a programme related to her department had been planned to be held on Friday. She said no one had sought her permission to hold the said programme. The opposition councillors quickly lapped up the opportunity that came their way, and supported her.

The mayor however, tried to explain off things by telling Nagaveni that the programme she has been referring to, was scheduled to be held during the period the previous chairperson of the committee and that it had to be postponed to tomorrow because of district in-charge minister, Ramanath Rai's ill health. As such, she reasoned that there was no ill will or insult involved with this incident.

The programme schedule, however, mentions Nagaveni as a chief guest, and gives her designation as the present chairperson of the health, education and social justice standing committee.

The Friday's programme being chaired by minister Rai is being held to distribute facilities to beneficiaries under various government schemes. It is being organized under the aegis of poverty eradication centre at the city corporation. All local MLAs, MLCs, chairpersons of all the standing committees including Nagaveni, local corporator among others, have been named in the programme list as chief guests.

The incident has made it clear that the ruling Congress corporators here are split and the two factions that are bitterly opposed to each other have been formed. These two factions indulged in shouting at the top of their voices at each other and hooted in an effort to sink the opposing voices.

Interestingly, although Nagaveni belongs to Congress, BJP councillors came strongly in her support during today's session.