BENGALURU: Amidst high drama in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike council during the mayoral polls, Bengaluru got its new mayor on Friday. Forty-year-old Gangambika Mallikarjun from Congress was elected as the 52nd mayor while Ramila Umashankar of JD(S) was elected Deputy Mayor. This is for the first time that women are holding the top two posts in the Council.
By fielding two women, both parties are eyeing more votes in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Gangambika, who was backed by senior Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy, is from the Lingayat community which has significant numbers in Bengaluru.
Of the 259 eligible voters that included 198 councillors, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members, MLAs and MLCs, only 253 cast their votes. Union Ministers and BJP MPs from Bengaluru — H N Ananthkumar and Nirmala Sitharam — were absent, while from the Congress, Minister Roshan Baig and councillors Asha Suresh and Naseem Khanum were absent. Lalitha Thimmananjaiah from Peenya ward was not allowed to vote as she came late. After the BJP members staged a walkout, Gangambika got 130 votes from Congress-JD(S) combine while Ramila got 129 votes (Congress MLA Haris stepped out).
The house witnessed high drama during the election. Some BJP and Congress councillors and a few MLAs almost came to blows, pushing and climbing on tables, leading to chaos. For more than two-and-a-half hours, the council hall had turned into a battle field.
BJP-Congress tiff continues during anthem
The drama unfolded when Hoysalanagar ward councillor Anand Kumar, who was missing on Thursday, was spotted entering the BBMP Council hall along with BJP leader R Ashok. But he straight away went towards the Congress benches. Bommanahalli MLA from BJP, Satish Reddy, along with a few BJP councillors walked towards Anand to get him to their side. Irked by this, Congress members stopped the BJP leaders.
Heated arguments ensued, which started to turn ugly as members of both parties started shouting and abusing each other even as some others started pushing around. Shockingly, they continued with the shoving and sloganeering even when the National Anthem was being played out.Regional Election Commissioner Shivayogi Kalasad appealed to the members to maintain decorum, but when they did not, he announced that for the first time the entire event was being web-streamed. But that too went in vain.
Meanwhile, independent councillor from Marathahalli ward, Ramesh, who was also missing on Thursday, came directly to BBMP council and went to the BJP benches. Congress members came to him with their party shawl, but even before they could put it around his neck, BJP members put their saffron shawl on Ranesh’s shoulders. This too created chaos.
After attendance, the Commissioner announced that the doors will be closed and that only those who had signed the attendance register will be allowed to vote. But Congress councillors opened the door for the Peenya ward councillor Lalitha Thimmananjaiah who came late. BJP members came to the well demanding the Commissioner not to allow her to vote. More ruckus followed after Congress leaders forced Lalitha to step on the dais and sign the attendance register. However, the commissioner stood his ground and did not allow Lalitha to vote.The two JD(S) councillors who were supporting BJP stayed back with their party when BJP members walked out.