Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, Feb 28: Diwakar, the corporator of Cotonment ward was elected as the mayor of Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) and Vedavathi corporator of Kulai ward as deputy mayor of MCC.
The election for mayor, deputy mayor and standing committee was held here on Friday, February 28.
As many as 60 corporators and two MLAs Vedavyasa Kamath and Bharath Y Shetty, and MLC Ivan D'Souza voted during the election.
Diwakar (left) and Vedavathi
MP Nalin Kumar Kateel was absent.
Deputy commissioner Sindhu P Rupesh, additional deputy commissioner M J Roopa, MCC commissioner Ajith Kumar, election officer and Mysuru zone regional commissioner V Yashwanth, and additional regional commissioner Gayathri were present.
Mayor Diwakar had won the Contonment ward by defeating K Bhaskar Rao from Congress. While Vedavathi won Kulai ward by defeating Gayathri from Congress.
Two nominations were filed for the mayor's post by Keshava from Congress and Diwakar from BJP.
Keshava secured 15 votes (14 corporators and MLC Ivan D'Souza), while Diwakar from BJP secured 46 votes (44 corporator and 2 MLAs).
Two nomination were filed for the deputy mayor's post by Zeenath Shamshuddin from Congress and Vedavathi from BJP.
Zeenath Shamshuddin secured 17 votes and Vedavathi secured 46 votes.
During the mayoral election, 2 corporators from SDPI Shamshad Aboobakkar and Muneeb Bengre remained neutral, while in deputy mayoral election, they voted for Zeenath Shamshuddin.
Ashraf, Poornima, Chandravati, Varun Chowta, Lohith, Bharath Kumar and Sumitra were elected as members of Public Health, educational and justice committee.
Abdul Latif, A C Vinayraj, Sharath Kumar, Shakeela Kava, Kadri Manohar Shetty, Kishore Kottari and Nayana R were elected for the standing committee for city planning and development.
Anil Kumar, M Shashidhar Hegde, Jagadish Shetty, Gayatri, Sandhya, Revathi and Lokesh were chosen as members of accounts standing committee.
Diwakar said, “I am always grateful to BJP for giving this opportunity as I was a common party representative. I thank all the leaders and voters for making this possible. I will work for the overall development of Mangaluru and we all will work together for development without politicizing.
“There are a lot of complaints regarding water charges. We will hold discussions with MLA and MP in the upcoming meeting and take a decision. I will visit five wards every week and will respond to the public’s problems,” he said.
Mangaluru South MLA Vedavyas Kamath said, "I congratulate Diwakar who is elected as mayor and Vedavathi as deputy mayor. I wish success to both of them and let several development works come up in Mangaluru in their tenure. I assure full support to them.”
Mangaluru MLA North MLA Dr Bharath Y Shetty said, "Now both mayor and deputy mayor have huge responsibility on their shoulders. We should work for the overall development of Mangaluru.”
MCC election was held on November 12 last year. Out of 60 seats, BJP had secured 44 seats, Congress 14 seats and SDPI secured 2 seats.