Nagapura ward corporator B Bhadre Gowda of the JD(S) has won the Deputy Mayoral polls held in Bengaluru. Bhadre Gowda was the candidate of the JD(S)-Congress alliance and was elected unopposed as the BJP did not file any nomination. He had held the position of Chairman of Standing Committee in 2016, overseeing ward-level works. The elections for the position of Deputy Mayor were held on Wednesday following the untimely demise of former Deputy Mayor Ramila Shankar, necessitating the elections.
Elections were also held for the positions of chairperson for 12 standing committees of the BBMP Council as well. The elections were conducted by IAS officer Randeep D, who was recently transferred out of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and given the additional charge of Deputy Election Commissioner of the district. The Congress and JD(S) had finalised Bhadre Gowda’s candidature following a closed-door meeting held between former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and former Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy.
Prior to Wednesday, however, there were speculations of differences of opinion between the Congress and the BJP about the nominations to different standing committees.
The BJP was also undecided about its senior leader and former Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka, MP PC Mohan and MLA Satish Reddy, having a visible argument just ahead of the voting. Meanwhile, Ramalinga Reddy also chaired meetings for the Congress.
On October 5, then newly elected Deputy Mayor Ramila Umashankar, passed away at the age of 44, following a heart attack. She had been a JD(S) corporator from the Kaveripura ward.
Along with the Congress’ Gangambike Mallikarjun, who was elected to the post of mayor, Ramila Umashankar was also elected unopposed as the BJP staged a walkout even after nominating Padmanabha ward councillor Shobha Anjanappa as its candidate for Mayor and Nayandahalli corporator Pratibha Dhanraj as its candidate for Deputy Mayor.
Although BJP emerged the single largest party in the 198 ward council with 100 corporators in 2015, the Congress-JD(S) alliance has been winning all elections in the mayoral polls even MLAs, MLCs and MPs in Bengaluru have a vote, which tilts the balance in the favour of the alliance.