Announcement of reservation for mayoral posts triggers brisk activities

Election to the two top posts likely to be held in January

The announcement of reservation for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Shivamogga City Corporation for the third term has triggered hectic political activities here.

The post of Mayor is unreserved and that of Deputy Mayor is reserved for Scheduled Caste Woman for the third term. In the 35-member House, the Congress has 12 members, Bharatiya Janata Party 11 (including three from Karnataka Janata Paksha), the Janata Dal (Secular) five, KJP four and three Independents.

In addition, elected representatives, including B.S. Yeddyurappa, Shivamogga MP; Ayanur Manjunath, member of Rajya Sabha; D.H. Shankaramurthy, chairman of the Legislative Council; K.S. Eshwarappa, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council; P.V. Krishna Bhat, R.K. Siddaramanna and M.B. Bhanuprakash, all MLCs from BJP; and Sharada Poorya Naik, Shivamogga Rural MLA of the Janata Dal (S) have voting rights.

Alliance

The Congress-JD(S) alliance, which will be 17 members in all, had ruled the corporation during the first two terms with the support of three Independents and four councillors of the KJP.

Now, the BJP is trying to come to power by luring the Independents and the KJP councillors into its fold. As Mayor Mangala Annappa is the only Scheduled Caste Woman member in the body, her election to the post of Deputy Mayor is a certainty.

The race for the post of Mayor has commenced among the councillors of the Congress and the Janata Dal (S), now.

S.K. Mariyappa of the Congress, who has been elected for five consecutive terms, is a serious contender for the Mayor’s post. Congress councillors H.C. Yogish, Vijayalakshmi Patil, S. Rajashekhar and P.V. Vishwanath, who are enjoying their second term in the House, are also strong aspirants.

H. Palakshi, Deputy Mayor of the Janata Dal (S), told The Hindu that his party would press for Mayor’s post this time. With the support of Janata Dal (S), the Congress ruled the city corporation for first two terms. Since the Congress member was likely to be the Deputy Mayor this time, the Janata Dal (S) would demand for the post of Mayor, he said.

If the Congress were to agrees to this, then Nagaraj Kankari of the Janata Dal (S), who has been elected for the second successive term, appears to be a serious contender for the post.

Since the term of the present Mayor and Deputy Mayor ends by the last week of December, the election is likely to be held in the first week of January, 2016.