The process of mayoral elections of Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) will begin soon with the State government issuing a notification allotting the Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts to candidates from general and general (woman) categories respectively.
In-charge Regional Commissioner M.V. Jayanthi is likely to announce the calendar of events. Councillors are hoping that the polls will be held before the start of the legislature session in Belagavi on November 21.
Though the three-year-old alliance between the JD(S) and BJP in the MCC is expected to continue in the coming polls, the Congress councillors are making out a case for the party leadership to support their claim for the Mayor’s post.
Leader of the Opposition in the MCC and Congress Councillor J.S. Jagadish said there was a strong argument in party circles to have Congress, the single largest party, to capture power in the civic body.
“As the Congress is in power in the State, the same party should control the civic body in the interest of developmental works. Though Chief Minister Siddaramaiah released over Rs. 300 to Rs. 350 crore for Mysuru city, unfortunately it is not reflected on the ground,” he said.
Though the Congress is the single largest party with 21 seats, the party does not have a majority in the MCC, and requires an understanding with other parties to win the Mayoral polls.
However, former Mayor R. Lingappa, a JD(S) councillor, said there is no reason for JD(S) with 20 seats and BJP with 13 seats, in the 65-member strong MCC, to part ways. “The alliance will most likely continue,” he said.
But, Mr. Jagadish said the Chief Minister has asked Minister in charge of Mysuru district H.C. Mahadevappa to decide on the polls in consultation with the Minister for Primary and Secondary Education and MLAs Vasu and M.K. Somashekar.
