Our councillors have set their sights on bigger roles. Several councillors, mostly seniors, have been nursing a secret ambition of furthering their political careers by contesting in the May 5 Assembly elections.
So far, seven councillors have filed their nominations to contest in the Assembly elections. While five of these have been given ticket by the various political parties, one has filed nomination as a rebel candidate and another as an Independent candidate. Four councillors, who had entered the poll fray, are contesting on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket, including senior councillor Padmanabha Reddy, who hopped from the Janata Dal (Secular) to the BJP recently.
Mayor’s ambitions
Leading the pack of councillors aspiring to enter the portals of the Vidhana Soudha is Mayor D. Venkatesh Murthy himself, who has been given the BJP ticket to contest from the Shantinagar constituency. Mr. Murthy told The Hindu he would file his nomination papers on Wednesday.
Councillor Muniratna Naidu has been given a Congress ticket though he is yet to file his nomination papers.
The seven councillors who have filed nominations include former Deputy Mayor S. Harish (Mahalakshmi Layout constituency – BJP), Kacharakanahalli councillor Padmanabha Reddy (Sarvajna Nagar – BJP), Chamarajpet councillor B.V. Ganesh (Chamarajpet – BJP), Hoody councillor B.A. Basavaraj (K.R. Puram – Congress) and Vijayanagar councillor H. Ravindra (Govindarajanagar – BJP).
Subhash Nagar councillor Mallesh has filed his nomination to contest from Gandhinagar constituency as a rebel candidate from the Congress, while Hegganahalli councillor M.B. Govinde Gowda is keen on contesting from Dasarahalli constituency as an independent candidate.
As an Independent
There are several councillors who have been ‘overlooked’ by their respective parties. Prominent among these is Hanumanthnagar councillor K. Chandrashekar, who was earlier Basavanagudi MLA. Sources said that he may contest once against from the same constituency as an Independent candidate.
According to sources, the other seniors who are still trying their luck at getting the ticket from their respective parties include the former Mayor S.K. Nataraj (BJP), Nandini Layout councillor M. Nagaraj (Congress), Siddapura councillor M. Udayshankar (Congress), Pulikeshinagar councillor Abdul Rakeeb Zakir (Congress), Ruling Party Leader N. Nagaraju (BJP), D.J. Halli councillor Sampath Raj (Congress), Rajarajeshwarinagar councillor G.H. Ramachandra (BJP), Pattabhiramanagar councillor C.K. Ramamurthy (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) Floor Leader Thimme Gowda.
Sources added that these councillors were not bothered about the anti-defection law. Citing the case of Mr. Padmanabha Reddy, who moved to BJP from JD(S), sources said that MLA aspirants may not think twice about switching to another party if promised a ticket. Mr. Mallesh, who has filed his nomination as a rebel candidate, has already been offered the ticket by the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP). “I will take a call on whether to join the party in a day or two,” he said.
