BANGALORE: Elected third time to the Council, senior Janata Dal (Secular) member Puttanna is almost certain to become its deputy chairman.
The JD(S) leadership on Sunday finalised his name for the post, which had seen intense competition among its members.
Marithibbe Gowda, Patel Shivaram and Sandesh Nagaraj were among the front-runners for the post, which had fallen vacant after Vimala Gowda of the BJP was forced out.
JD(S) is likely to announce Puttanna’s name on Monday, a day ahead of the elections.
The BJP, it may be recalled, struck a deal with the JD(S) to foil the Congress’ strategy to unseat Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy.
In the 75-member Council, BJP has a strength of 31, including Shankaramurthy. Congress with 28 members had almost succeeded in striking a deal with JD(S), which has five members, to stake claim for the chairman’s post.
However, the BJP outsmarted the Congress by successfully wooing the JD(S). The pact allowed Shankaramurthy to continue as chairman while JD(S) would get the deputy chairman’s post.
Initially even as Puttanna and Marithibbe Gowda were seen to be slugging it out for the post, the contest took a twist with demand rising for giving the post to one of the party members elected from the local bodies’ constituency. Both Puttanna and Marithibbe Gowda were elected from the teachers’ constituency.
With taluk and zilla panchayat elections coming up by the end of this year, members from the local bodies’ constituency had staked their claim. B Ramakrishna, Sandesh Nagaraj, E Krishnappa, Patel Shivaram and MR Huli Naikar are the JD(S) members elected from local bodies’ constituencies.
According to a senior leader in the JD(S), members from local bodies’ constituencies lost out as all of them are first timers. Puttanna has been elected for the third time to the Council and had earlier served as deputy chairman.