BENGALURU: A day after the BBMP election results were announced, lobbying began for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor.
The BJP has retained the 198-member council with a slim majority. Senior councillors eyeing the two posts enjoy an advantage over the many first-timers.
The mayor’s post is open to all, since it falls under the general category. The deputy’s post is reserved for women.
Sixteen former councillors have made it to the new council. Some mayoral contenders are N Nagaraju (Byrasandra), Padmanabha Reddy (Kacharakanahalli), former deputy mayor L Srinivas (Kumaraswamy Layout) and Umesh Shetty (Govindarajnagar).
Nagaraju told Express he was qualified. “I am a three-time councillor. Before D Venkatesh Murthy became mayor four years ago, my name had almost been finalised,” he said.
He said he had served as floor leader of the ruling party, but had neither been deputy mayor nor chairman of any standing committee. “I have asked party leaders to consider my request,” he said.
Party sources said L Srinivas, close to former deputy chief minister R Ashoka, stood a ‘slight’ chance. Srinivas was deputy mayor last term, and is from Kumaraswamy Layout in Padmanabhanagar constituency, represented by Ashoka.
BJP City Unit President Subba Narasimha said no names had been finalised. “We are not looking at any particular constituency. We want an efficient mayor,” he said.
The party has 60 women councillors this time. Most are first timers, so the deputy mayor’s post may go to an experienced woman leader. “Some former councillors are pushing their wives for the deputy mayor’s post,” a senior leader said.