Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Jan 23: Gazette publication about the formation of the new city corporation council here has been made and in all likelihood, election for the posts of new mayor and deputy mayor for Mangaluru may be held in a week from now.
As the post of the mayor has been earmarked for backward class-A category, names of two BJP corporators Jayanand Anchan representing Kadri Padavu ward, and Diwakar representing Cantonment ward, are in the forefront of the race at present.
Election for the corporation council was held on November 13, 2019. For the first time in the history of the city, the BJP had come out victorious with a thumping majority of 44 seats as against 14 of the Congress and two of the SDPI. However, the council formation got delayed and even after two months, it has not been formed because of the failure on the part of the government to issue gazette notification. With the publication of the matter in the gazette on Wednesday, all obstacles in the election of the mayor and deputy mayor have been removed.
A letter will now be sent to the regional commissioner at Mysusu by the corporation seeking to fix date for the election of mayor and deputy mayor. After the date is fixed, in the presence of Mysuru regional commissioner, the election will be held.
The state government had issued gazette notification for holding of elections of mayors, deputy mayors, presidents and vice presidents for 11 local urban bodies on December 28 for the 22nd term, 2019. But it was not applicable to Mangaluru City Corporation. It may be recalled that the corporation election got delayed here by about a year because of legal issues concerning the rotational system of categorization for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor. Therefore, this is the 21st mayor and deputy mayor for the city whereas the previous gazette publication pertained to 22nd term of mayor and deputy mayor.
As it is, there is likelihood of sticking to the reservation list published by the then government led by Siddaramaiah for the current election as the time left is too short.