N.M. Rajeshwari of the Janata Dal (Secular) is the new Mayor of Mysore.
In the Mayoral polls held here on Thursday, the JD (S) cobbled a majority through a power-sharing agreement with the BJP and thwarted the Congress from coming to power though it is the single largest party with 22 councillors in the 65-member house. The elections held in March threw up a hung council with the JD (S) securing 20 seats, and BJP 12, while there were seven independents, two councillors from the Socialist Democratic Party of India, and one each from the BSR Congress and the Karnataka Janata Paksha.
Ms.Rajeshwari secured 39 votes in her favour. This included votes of the 20 JD (S) councillors, 12 BJP councillors, five legislators – three from the JD (S) and two from the BJP who too have voting rights – apart from the support of the KJP councillor and an independent. Ms.Rajeshwari defeated Manjjula Manasa of the Congress who secured 29 votes.
Sources in the JD (S) said as per the power-sharing agreement, the posts of both the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor would be retained by the JD (S) and the BJP would be offered the post of chairmen of the four standing committees of the MCC. Ms. Rajeshwari will be the Mayor for one year and her tenure will close on September 4, 2014.
This was the first meeting of the council after the completion of the elections to the local body in March 2013 and prior to the elections. The Mayoral polls were delayed because the rooster of reservation was announced only in the last week of August.
