Four-time councillor G. Padmavathi (56) of the Congress was elected the new Mayor and M. Anand (52) of JD(S) was voted as her deputy on Wednesday amidst pandemonium.
Ms. Padmavathi represents Prakash Nagar ward while Mr. Anand represents Radhakrishna Temple ward.
Two Members of Parliament (MP) Rajeev Chandrashekhar and P.C. Mohan were denied voting rights as they turned up late for the polling. Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Chandrashekhar later announced that he will approach the High Court over this matter.
BJP members, comprising MPs, MLCs, MLAs and councillors, walked out when Regional Commissioner Jayanthi ruled that only those who were present in the council when attendance was taken before the poll process began would be allowed to vote.
Padmanabhanagar MLA R. Ashok urged the Regional Commissioner to allow them to vote at least in the poll for the post of deputy mayor. However, Ms. Jayanthi contended that since the polls for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor were not separate, the two MPs could not vote. BJP members later termed the elections ‘biased’.
Ms. Padmavathi bagged 142 votes against 120 for D.H. Lakshmi of the BJP.
Ms. Padmavathi’s candidature was announced just two hours before the polls. The party chose her over P. Sowmya Shivakumar, who was backed by Minister K.J. George, MLA N.A. Harris and the JD (S). This led to dissatisfaction within the ranks. Two meetings were held in a hotel before all councillors turned up in the council to cast their votes.
Meanwhile, with the BJP walking out, M. Anand (53) was elected as deputy mayor unopposed. He said that the JD (S) has been allotted the posts of chairpersons of four standing committees: Accounts, Education, Ward wise works and Town Planning, as part of the power sharing agreement in the Congress. “We have demanded formation of a co-ordination committee to steer the administration of the city. Congress should not take unilateral decisions,” he said.
Polls to the 12 standing committees will be held on October 20, regional commissioner Jayanthi announced.
‘Reason for delay’
The two MPs claimed that they were held up at the all-party meet convened by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the Cauvery issue. This led to mud-slinging between Congress and BJP over the Cauvery dispute as well. Incidentally, H.N. Ananth Kumar and D.V. Sadananda Gowda, both members of the Lok Sabha and Union ministers, failed to turn up for the polls as they were at the all-party meeting.
Mr. Rajeev Chandrashekhar said, “According to me, the Cauvery water issue takes precedence over the mayoral elections. Along with other MPs and MLAs, MP P.C. Mohan and me were at the all-party meeting till noon and rushed to the BBMP Council meeting immediately thereafter. By the time we reached, we were told that were late and hence stand disqualified to vote for the poll for the post of deputy mayor — for which the voting process was yet to begin. The Congress leaders left the meeting before the Chief Minister could make his final remarks. By walking out mid-way rather than participating in the meeting to discuss and resolve the Cauvery issue, they have proved that voting in the mayoral election, and not solving the Cauvery issue, is their priority.”
