Mohan Kuthar
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Nov 2: Chitra Chandrakanth and Ayub Manchila of the Congress have been elected president and vice-president respectively of Ullal municipality.
The election to the posts of the president and vice-president of Ullal municipality, which was pending for the last two years on account of stay order issued by the court, was held on Monday November 2 at 1.30 pm.
Apart from Chitra Chandrakanth and Ayub Manchila of the Congress, Zareena Banu for the SDPI and Reshma Jagadeesh from the BJP had filed nomination papers for the post of the president while Rameez Kody and Jabbar of the JD(S) had filed nominations for the post of the vice-president.
As none of the parties got clear mandate in the election that was held for the first time for Ullal city municipality, coalition was inevitable. This had caused a lot of curiosity. While Congress, which was ruling in the last term, secured 13 seats, BJP and SDPI had bagged six seats each. JD (S) had got four seats while independents had got two. BJP and JD(S) therefore entered into coalition. This made the way easy for Congress to retain power in the municipality.
In the election that was held for the post of president and vice-president on Monday, Congress, BJP and SDPI candidates contested for the post of president while for the vice president position Congress, JD(S) and SDPI fielded candidates.
Independent candidate Mushtaque Patla sprang a surprise by vowing his support for Congress candidate Chithrakala for the post of president. He had contested against the Congress candidate in the election. Chithrakala got 15 votes with the support of Mushtaque Patla and MLA U T Khader. Reshma Jagadish, who contested from BJP garnered 10 votes as JD(S) supported her. Zareena Banu of SDPI got six votes of her own party.
In the election for the post of vice-president Congress candidate U P Ayub Manchila won 14 votes including that of MLA U T Khader. Mushtaque Patla who supported Congress in the presidential election did not support Congress in the election of vice-president. U M Jabbar of JD(S) secured 11 votes with Mushtaque's support. SDPI candidate Rameez got six votes of his own party. In both the elections, the other independent candidate Abdul Azeez was neutral.
Speaking after the elections, MLA U T Khader said, "Two years have completed since the elections for the city municipality were held. As the power was not handed over, the responsibility was on me. Though president and vice-president belong to the same party, they should take other parties also into confidence and work with the aim of developing Ullal."
Vice-president elect Ayub said, "The power has been handed over two years after holding the elections of Ullal city municipality. Under the MLA grant many developmental works have already taken place. The development works that need to be carried out in future will be done unitedly under the guidance of seniors and Ullal will be made a model town."