General category candidate for Mayor, BCA (Woman) for Deputy

Mysore/Mysuru: Exactly six months after the incumbent Mayor Sunanda Palanetra functioned as In-charge Mayor of Mysuru, the State Government has announced the reservation category (matrix) for Mayoral polls, thus setting in motion the process for conduct of Mayoral elections for the next term of the current tenure of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC).

In a Government of Karnataka Gazette Notification issued this morning (Aug. 24), the Urban Development Department allotted the Offices of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor to various categories for the next term in respect of ten City Corporations — Mysuru, Ballari, Belagavi, Davanagere, Hubballi-Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Mangaluru, Shivamogga, Tumakuru and Vijayapura, under Rule 73-A of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Election) (Amendment) Rules 2020 and Guidelines issued vide Government Order No. UDD 204 MLR 2020 (Part) dated Jan. 21, 2021.

According to the Gazette Notification, the post of Mysuru Mayor has been reserved for General Category candidate and Deputy Mayor for BCA (Woman). The announcement of reservation assumes significance for Mysuru in the wake of Dasara, which is just about six weeks away.

Sunanda Palanetra, who is functioning as In-charge Mayor since Feb. 25, 2022 after her term expired on Feb. 24, was the first Mayor from the BJP.

Sunanda, who represents Ward 59, was elected as Mayor in a re-election to the post held on Aug. 25, 2021, which was necessitated after the High Court disqualified the then Incumbent Mayor Rukmini Madegowda of JD(S) on the ground that she had submitted a false asset affidavit during the 2018 MCC elections. Rukmini was elected Mayor for the third term of the current tenure of MCC on Feb. 24, 2021. But three months into her service, she had to demit  office following HC verdict. Later the JD(S)-Congress coalition, which then ruled the MCC, collapsed due to feud over which party should get the Mayor post, thus enabling the BJP candidate Sunanda to bag the post in the election held on Aug. 25, 2021.

Sunanda, who had lost the Mayoral polls held on Feb. 24, 2021, later got some solace, as she became the first Corporator from BJP to occupy Mayor’s office, which post had remained elusive for the party for nearly four decades.

The MCC is a 65-member body and no party has an absolute majority on its own. BJP is the single largest party, followed by the Congress and JD(S).

In-Charge Mayor reacts

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, in-Charge Mayor Sunanda Palanetra said, “The party had recognised my services to BJP and selected me for Mayor’s post. Now as per rules, I have to make way for a new Mayor. I happily welcome the Government’s decision. I have the satisfaction of utilising the opportunity given to me to serve the people of Mysuru.”