The Hindu 19.08.2010
Hectic lobbying for top CMC posts in Bijapur
Pradeepkumar Kadkol
| The elections will be held on August 26 |
SEAT OF POWER:The City Municipal Council office of Bijapur.
Bijapur: With the announcement of elections for City Municipal Council (CMC) president and vice-president posts on August 26, the aspirants for these seats are involved in hectic lobbying.
According to sources in the City Municipal Council, the seat of municipal president has been reserved for general candidate and that of the vice-president’s for Scheduled Castes candidate for the next 30 months.
The candidates can file their nomination papers before 9.30 a.m. on that day, and 15 minutes would be given for withdrawing the nomination papers. Scrutiny will be held at 1 p.m., and the election process will continue after scrutiny.
Of the 35 seats in the City Municipal Council, 15 belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 12 to the Congress, one to the Janata Dal(S), while the remaining seven members are independents.
As the BJP is the only largest party with more seats in the council, two independents, Ashok Nyamgonda and Chennappa Bhajantri, are supporting BJP, according to sources.
As the City MLA Appasaheb Pattanshetty, MP Ramesh Jigjinagi and Nagthan MLA Vittal Katakdond, who are from the BJP, can also vote in the elections, the number of voters in favour of the BJP is 20. With more than 50 per cent of seats, the BJP candidate will be strong contender for the municipal president’s seat.
As the vice-president’s post is reserved for Scheduled Castes candidate, there is no candidate in the BJP from that community. Hence, Mr. Chennappa Bhajantri may contest for the seat with the support of the BJP, the sources added.
