The Hindu 21.10.2010
Bakkesh elected Davangere Mayor
Staff Correspondent
| ‘My priority is to supply drinking water to all households in the city on a daily basis’ |
K.G. Shivakumar of Congress withdrew from the contest
There were five other aspirants for the post in the BJP
New role:Regional Commissioner J.M. Dhananjaya Kumar greeting M.G. Bakkesh on his election as Mayor of Davangere on Wednesday. Corporation Commissioner Prasanna Kumar and Deputy Mayor Pushpa Duggesh are seen.
DAVANGERE: M.G. Bakkesh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was elected unopposed Mayor of Davangere city on Wednesday.
Though Congress councillor K.G. Shivakumar had filed nomination papers for the post, he withdrew from the contest later.
The BJP has 22 members in the 41-member Davangere City Corporation Council. The council has 10 members of the Congress and five members of the Janata Dal (Secular), besides four independents.
Six months
The BJP, in a bid to give opportunity to many councillors to become Mayor, has restricted the Mayor’s term to six months.
As per the arrangement, Vasanth Kumar resigned form the Mayor’s post some days ago.
The party had issued a whip to its councillors to support Mr. Bakkesh’s candidature. Though there were five other aspirants for the post— Rudruswamy, H.N. Shivakumar, B. Lokesh, Sankol Chandrashekar and Suresh, the party chose Mr. Bakkesh considering the seniority.
Regional Commissioner J.M. Dhananjaya Kumar conducted the elections.
Deputy Commissioner of Davangere district Vastrad and Commissioner of Davangere City Corporation Prasanna Kumar were among the other officials who were present.
Talking to presspersons after the election, Mr. Bakkesh said his priority was to supply drinking water to all households on a daily basis. He said he would hold talks with Davangere district in-charge Minister S.A. Ravindranath, Davangere MP G.M. Siddeshwar, Chief Whip in Legislative Council A.H. Shivayogiswamy and all councillors before taking up works in this regard.
To a question, he said that a portion of the Rs. 60-crore loan given to the corporation by the Asian Development Bank would be used for the proposed drinking water projects.
Mr. Bakkesh said he would rid footpath of hawkers by providing them shops elsewhere. He said road repair works would also be take up in the city.
