Mysuru: The much-awaited election for the 31st Mayor and Deputy Mayor to the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) will be held tomorrow (Jan.24) at the Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar auditorium in the MCC premises at 11.30 am.

The term of the present MCC will end on Sept.4, 2018, which means the new team will have less than nine months in office. Congress, which tweaked the reservation list in its favour by earmarking it for SC (woman) for the Mayor’s and ST (woman) Deputy Mayor’s post is certain to win both the posts as there are no SC and ST candidates either in BJP or JD(S). MCC authorities have already issued meeting notices to all the Corporators regarding the election.

The Corporators who wish to contest in the election are directed to submit their nomination papers before 9.30 am on Jan.24, the polling day, to MCC Council Secretary.

In-Charge Regional commissioner Shivayogi C. Kalasad, who is the Returning Officer, will conduct the election under Karnataka Municipal Act 1976.

First the election to the Mayor’s post will be held and then for the Deputy Mayor’s post. This will be followed by election of members for four standing committees — Taxation, Finance and Appeals Committee, Public Health, Education and Social Justice Committee, Town Planning and Improvement Committee and Accounts Committee. Seven Corporators will be elected to each committee.

However, there are two candidates in the fray both from the Congress for the Mayor’s post—R. Kamala, Corporator, 4th Main, Gandhinagar, Ward No. 50 and V. Bhagyavathi, Vijayashreepura, Ward No. 23, both belonging to the SC category. The lone candidate for the Deputy Mayor’s post is M. Indira, resident of Gayathripuram, Ward No. 61, an ST candidate.

It is interesting to see the tussle between the two candidates from the same party. Sources in the Congress party said that Chief Minister Siddharamaiah, who is in Mysuru today and tomorrow will decide on the candidate and whoever he chooses will be the Mayor.

Meanwhile, R. Ravindrakumar, Corporator from Ward No. 41, Alanahalli, who had won the election as an Independent candidate with the support of JD(S) and then moved to BJP had moved the High Court against the Government’s reservation matrix for Mayoral polls.

Ravindrakumar, in his petition, had also alleged that the government had failed to follow the roster system. But the High Court Judge Vineet Kumar Kothari, while disposing off the petition, rejected his objections and asked the complainant to withdraw his petition.

The MCC has a total of 74 voters, including 65 Corporators. Among them, 21 are from Congress, 20 from JD(S) and 13 from BJP. Seven are Independents, one from BSR Congress, one from Karnataka Janata Party and two from SDPI. This apart, there are four MLAs (including CM Siddharamaiah) and one MLC who can vote for Congress, the JD(S) has one MLA and 2 MLCs while the BJP has one MP who can vote.

K.R. Sub Division ACP N.M. Dharmaraj, N.R. Sub Division Umesh G. Shet, K.R. Police Inspector Prakash are supervising the security operations for the elections, which is likely to go off peacefully.