Veena Baradwad was elected Mayor and Satish Hangal Deputy Mayor in the elections held in Dharwad on Tuesday. Both belong to the BJP.
With this, it seems that the BJP’s reign over the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) continues and the alleged attempts of the Congress to poach members have failed. Speculation was rife that the urban local body would pass on to the Congress, after senior leader Jagadish Shettar quit the BJP to join the Congress.
Ms. Baradwad, member from Ward 46, defeated Congress nominee Suvarna Kalkuntla from Ward 59. Mr. Hangal defeated Congress candidate Rajshekhar Kamati of Ward 4. The winners polled 46 votes while the losers got 37 votes.
AIMIM candidates - Wahidakhan Allabaksh Kittur for Mayor and Nasir Ahmed Mehboobsab Honyal for Deputy Mayor managed to get three votes each.
In the 82-member house, BJP has 39 members and Congress 33. There are six Independents, three from the AIMIM and one JD(S) member. Three of the six Independents joined the BJP last year.
BJP has four more votes as local legislators and MP are qualified to cast their votes. MP Prahlad Joshi, MLAs Mahesh Tenginkai and Arvind Bellad and MLC Pradeep Shettar participated.
The Congress has two MLAs - Prasad Abbayya and Vinay Kulkarni in the twin city limits. But Mr. Kulkarni has been barred by the court from entering Dharwad district. The High Court of Karnataka rejected his plea to visit Dharwad to vote.
Similar was the case of S.V. Sankanur, BJP MLC, who was found not eligible to vote as his name did not figure in the electoral rolls of any Assembly constituency in the twin city limits. The High Court had dismissed his plea requesting permission to vote.
Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti an eligible voter, did not vote.
In the last elections, five of the six Independents had supported the BJP. A few months later, three of them joined the BJP. Of the three Independents left, two voted for the Congress and one for the BJP.
Laxmi Hindesgeri of the JD(S) supported the Congress. She had voted for the BJP last time.
BJP member Saraswati Dhongdi of Ward 54 could not participate as she was ill.
Ms. Baradwad said she would focus on development works, drinking water and roads. She said she would not discriminate between Hubballi and Dharwad when it comes to release of funds or development works.
