The Janata Dal (Secular) – Bharatiya Janata Party coalition has come to power in Shivamogga City Corporation.
In the election for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor held on Tuesday, Elumalai of the JD(S), who represents Ward no. 27, was elected Mayor, while Roopa Lakshman of BJP, who represents Ward no. 13, was elected Deputy Mayor. In the 35-member body, Congress has 12 members, the BJP 11, JD(S) five, Karnataka Janata Paksha four, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) one and there are two Independents. The post of Mayor was reserved for Scheduled Castes and that of Deputy Mayor for Scheduled Tribes-Woman.
K. Lakshman, who represents Ward no. 18, had also submitted a nomination for the post of Mayor. Mr. Elumalai secured 25 votes, while 11 votes were polled in favour of Mr. Lakshman. Apart from the JD(S) and BJP members, Chairman of State Legislative Council D.H. Shankaramurthy, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council K.S. Eshwarappa, Shivamogga Rural MLA Sharada Poorya Naik, MLC M.B. Bhanuprakash, four KJP members and two Independents voted in favour of Mr. Elumalai. K.B. Prasanna Kumar, Shivamogga MLA, of Congress, who is also a member of the Corporation and lone member of SDPI abstained from the voting. As Ms. Lakshman was the lone member from a Scheduled Tribe, she was elected unopposed.
Speaking to presspersons, Mr. Eshwarappa said the JD(S)-BJP coalition rule would strive to expedite the process of distribution of sites for below poverty line families in the city, under the Vajpayee Ashraya Housing Scheme.
As Shivamogga has been selected for the Smart City Project of Ministry of Urban Development, efforts would be made to get additional funds sanctioned from the Union government under the project to upgrade the civic amenities in the city, he added.
Following the result, JD(S) supporters took Mr. Elumalai in a procession on the main streets of the city.
