The results of the by-polls to City Municipal Council (CMC) have given a shot in the arm to Kollegal MLA N. Mahesh with the BJP winning six out of seven seats.
Out of the seven seats, where by-elections were held on October 28, Mr. Mahesh’s supporters, who contested as BJP candidates, won six seats while the Congress managed to snatch one seat.
The winners were M. Manasa (Ward No. 6), Nasir Sharief (Ward No. 7), Pavithra (Ward No. 13), Prakash (Ward No. 21), Ramakrishna (Ward No 25) and Nagachandramma (Ward No. 26), all BJP. Bhagya, who triumphed from Ward No. 2 was the lone Congress candidate to win in the by-elections.
The by-polls were held after then Deputy Commissioner of Chamarajanagar district disqualified seven Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) members for violating the party whip during the elections to the post of president and vice-president of CMC in October 2020. The seven BSP members had aligned themselves with Mr. Mahesh, who had been expelled by the BSP.
Six out of the seven disqualified BSP members returned to the fray as BJP candidates in the by-polls with the help of Mr. Mahesh, who has now associated himself with the BJP.
The 31-member Kollegal CMC had a total of 9 BSP members after the elections were held in 2018. Now, their number had dwindled to two while the tally of BJP had risen from 7 to 13 and the Congress party’s members had increased from 11 to 12. Four seats had been won by independents.
However, the Congress continues to control the CMC with the support of two BSP members and four independents. Congress party’s Rekha Ramesh heads the CMC.
