C. Bharathi and P. Deena were on Friday elected president and vice-president of the Ballari Zilla Panchayat. The zilla panchayat is under the control of the BJP for the third term in a row.
Amlan Aditya Biswas, Regional Commissioner, Kalaburagi, conducted the election proceedings and announced the results.
The post of panchayat president was reserved for Other Backward Class (B) (Woman) and that of the vice-president for Scheduled Castes. In the 40-member House, BJP has 21 seats, Congress 17 and there are two Independents.
Ms. Bharathi, who represents Badanahatti constituency in Ballari taluk, secured 22 votes, including the vote of an Independent (Vijaykumar), to defeat Congress candidate Asha Thippeswamy who secured 18 votes, including the vote of Independent (Srinivas). Ms. Rathnamma of the BJP, who had earlier filed her nomination papers, later withdrew them.
In the election to vice-president post, Ms. Deena, representing Badeladaku in Kudligi taluk, secured 22 votes, four more than her rival from the Congress A. Manaiah.
