Next Mayor of Mangaluru set to be elected unopposed

Next Mayor of Mangaluru set to be elected unopposed

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, September 10, 2024: With the next Mayor of Mangaluru, for the 25th term, set to be elected unopposed, sources in the ruling BJP in the city corporation council said the party is yet to finalise its candidate for the Mayoral election scheduled on September 19.

As the office of the Mayor is reserved for a councillor of the Scheduled Caste, the Opposition Congress in the council does not have any councillor belonging to the same category to field in the election. While BJP has three eligible councillors, including the outgoing Deputy Mayor Sunitha who represents Panambur Bengre Ward No. 11, the other two councillors are Manoj Kumar from Derebail North Ward No. 17 and S. Bharat Kumar from Jeppu Ward No. 59.

Of them, the name of Manoj Kumar is doing the rounds in the BJP circles as the probable candidate for the office of Mayor. It is based on the Assembly constituency-wise representation to be given in the selection of candidate.

Of the four candidates (councillors) fielded for the office of Mayor earlier, three were from Mangaluru City South Assembly and another was from Mangaluru City North.

Hence, the party is likely to select the fifth Mayoral candidate from Mangaluru City North to maintain the balance in the representation as Derebail North ward is under Mangaluru City North constituency.

Though the outgoing Deputy Mayor’s ward too is under Mangaluru City North, the party is unlikely to field her for the office of Mayor as the office of Deputy Mayor is reserved for a woman councillor from Backward Class A. In case the party fielded Ms. Sunitha because the party never had a woman Mayor in the ongoing five-year term of the council, both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be women.

The BJP has many aspirants for the office of Deputy Mayor. Since a woman councillor from Mangaluru City South is likely to be fielded, again to maintain the Assembly constituency-wise representation, the name of Veena Mangala from Jeppinamogaru ward No. 54 is doing the rounds as the probable candidate for the office of Deputy Mayor.

As the five-year term of the present elected council will expire on February 27, 2025, the next Mayor and Deputy Mayor to be elected will be in office for about five months and not for one year. It is because former Mayor Premananda Shetty and former Deputy Mayor Sumangala continued in their offices for about one-half year due to a delay in the announcement of reservation for the Mayoral election, for the 23rd term, which was to be held in March, 2022. Hence after the delay of about six months the election was held on September 9, 2022.

The first Mayoral election of the present council was held on February 28, 2020.