With the Regional Commissioner of Belagavi announcing the reservation and date for conducting the election to the posts of the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor of Hubballi-Dharwad, hectic lobbying for the top posts has begun in the BJP, which is all set retain power.
As per the notification, the mayoral polls are scheduled to take place on May 28. The municipal corporation has been operating without an elected body for the last three years. Although the elections were held after much delay and results announced almost nine months ago, the newly elected members could not take oath of office due to various technical issues and litigation.
The election notification has suddenly created flutter among the elected Council members, particularly those of the BJP as they emerged as the single largest party in the 82-member Council.
For the record, the BJP has 39 members, the Congress 33, the AIMIM 3, the JD(S) one, and there are six independent candidates. Of them, one ‘BJP rebel’ has already joined the BJP, taking the tally to 40. The magic number is 42 and the BJP is comfortably positioned. This apart, the BJP has votes of five legislators and one MP.
The BJP was in power in the municipal corporation for the last 10 years and only on two occasions, councillors from Dharwad managed to wear the mayoral gown.
Now that a movement seeking separate municipal corporation has been launched in Dharwad, there are chances that the BJP might choose a councillor from Dharwad.
Incidentally, a prominent name in the race for the Mayor’s post, which is reserved for the general category, is Iresh Anchatageri, considered a close aide of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and who is from Dharwad. Two other names from Dharwad are Vijayanand Shetty and former Mayor Shivu Hiremath.
The list from Hubballi is big as seniors naturally want their names to be considered. Prominent among them are former Mayor Viranna Savadi, considered a close aide of former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar; former JD(S) leader Rajanna Koravi who won on BJP ticket; four-time councillor Ramanna Badiger, district general secretary Thippanna Majjagi, Mallikarju Gundur, Umesh Koujageri, and Shivu Menasinakai.
As the State will go to Assembly polls in a year, the BJP will have to consider various aspects including caste equations. It will also have to ensure that the twin cities get one post each. If the Mayor’s post goes to Dharwad, then the Deputy Mayor’s post, which is reserved for women, goes to Hubballi or vice-versa.
With regard to the Deputy Mayor’s post, most of the women councillors of the BJP are first-timers, barring former Mayor Rabhabai Safare. Prominent names among the Hubballi councillors are Roopa Shetty, Meenakshi Vantamuri, Seema Mogalishettar, Pooja Shejwadkar, and among Dharwad councillors Jyoti Patil and Anita Chalageri too are in the race.
But ultimately everything depends on the equation being worked out by Mr. Shettar and Mr. Joshi.
