SECOND-time councillor R Sampath Raj of Congress was elected as the 51st Mayor of the city while Padmavathi Narasimha Murthy of JD(S), a first-time councillor is the 52nd Deputy Mayor. Elections to the posts were held on Thursday. Sampath Raj polled 139 of the total 266 votes. Sampath Raj (47) was backed by Energy Minister D K Shivakumar, Bengaluru Development Minister K J George and Chief Minister Siddaramiah.
While his opponent Muniswamy of BJP from Kodigehalli ward did not get any vote as BJP members walked out of the mayoral election claiming that the Congress had fielded bogus voters. BJP MPs including Union Ministers D V Sadananda Gowda, Ananthkumar and Nirmala Sitharaman were not present for the vote. BJP members raised slogans against the Congress, Siddaramiah and even Sampath Raj. Former CM Veerappa Moily, former Union Ministers Jairam Ramesh, Oscar Fernandes, Rahaman Khan, MPs Rajeev Gowda, D K Suresh, ministers Ramalinga Reddy, K J George, Krishna Byregowda, Roshan Baig, KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao and others were present. All the four candidates (Sampath Raj, Padmavathi Narasimha Murthy, Muniswamy and Mamatha Vasudev of BJP) filed their nominations on Thursday morning.
Even while Congress members raised their hands to vote for their candidate, BJP members jumped to the well and staged a protest raising slogans. “If this election was conducted democratically, BJP, the single largest party, should have been in power. But with bogus voters, Congress took a short cut to win the election. This is illegal,’’ alleged BJP leader Padmanabha Reddy. Padmavathi of JD(S) polled 138 votes (former mayor and Congress MLC P R Ramesh had stepped out). She was backed by JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda. Though her colleague Remila Umashankar’s name was doing the rounds for the post of Deputy Mayor till Wednesday, Deve Gowda chose Padmavathi.
SIDDARAMAIAH VISITS HDK IN HOSPITAL
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday visited H D Kumaraswamy at Apollo hospital to inquire about his health. Kumaraswamy underwent a valve replacement surgery on Saturday, and he is likely to be discharged soon. Siddaramaiah was briefed by the doctors on Kumaraswamy’s health. Speaking to reporters, Siddaramaiah said Kumaraswamy was doing well and he had advised the JD(S) leader to take adequate rest. “Politics is not going anywhere. I told him to take rest first and then think about travel. Health is more important,” he said.
FIVE SHIRTS FOR MAYOR’S D-DAY
Mayor Sampath Raj was all set for the momentous day. While he was wearing a shirt with a waist coat, one of his associates was seen carrying two more ironed shirts. When asked what were they for, he said that soon after Sampath finishes the election, he will wear these. There were two more shirts kept in his car which he was to wear later when he went to meet other leaders in the evening
ERRRR, 60 YEARS?
When talking to reporters, the Mayor said that after Congress came to power in BBMP in the last two years, things have changed for the better like they never did in the last 60 years. When pointed out that Congress was ruling for most of the time in the last six decades, he ignored the comment and said that good work will continue.
DEVE GOWDA EXPECTS BETTER TREATMENT FROM CONG
JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda on Thursday defended their decision to back Padmavathi Narasimha Murthy for the post of deputy mayor saying that the party wanted to support the Yadava community. “Kumaraswamy had to take the final decision. We both wanted the deputy mayor’s post to go to someone from the backward community. There was pressure on Kumaraswamy to choose someone from a forward community, but he did not buckle under it,” he said. Gowda also clarified that the present alliance with Congress was only for the mayoral polls. He expressed hope that the Congress would treat them better this time, unlike the last two years. “I hope the Congress will sit with us and discuss Palike matters,” he said.