Congman elected Hubli-Dharwad Mayor

By Our Special Correspondent

HUBLI, JUNE 19. Mr. Firdous Konnur of the Congress was elected Mayor of Hubli Dharwad on Tuesday. Mr. Sunil Patil of the Janata Dal (Secular) was elected Deputy Mayor. They will hold office in the first year of the term of the Council of the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC).

While Mr. Konnur defeated Mr. Ranga Baddi of the BJP by 44 votes to 24 votes, Mr. Patil, emerged victorious by bagging 43 votes, against 24 votes secured by his rival from the BJP, Mr. Mallikarjun Dundur. The council has a strength of 77 including 10 ex-officio members. The party position (with the number of ex- officio members in brackets): Congress: 26 (2); BJP: 25 (3); JD- S: 16 (4); and JD (United): 3 (1).

Of the ex-officio members, Mr. Vijay Sankeshwar BJP MP, Mr. S.R. Bommai, JD-S member of the Rajya Sabha, Mr. A.H. Hindasgeri, Minister for Labour and Wakfs, and Mr. Alkod Hanumanthappa, JD(S) MLC, did not attend the election meeting. Mr. Basavaraj Horatti, Leader of the JD(U) in the Legislative Council, abstained from voting along with his two-member group of corporators and an independent supporting the party, reducing the number of persons participating in the elections to 69.

Although Mr. Konnur secured 45 votes, one vote cast in his favour was kept in abeyance as per a court directive on a petition challenging the election of Ms. Mangalagouri Agnihotri (Congress) to the council.

In the election for the post of Deputy Mayor, in which the Congress supported the JD(S), Mr. Sunil Patil secured only 43 votes as one of the Congress members was not present in the House.

Both Mr. Konnur and Mr. Patil are serving their first term as corporators. Mr. Konnur, who has a diploma in engineering, is running a steel fabrication unit. Mr. Patil is a social worker from Dharwad.

Mr. B.A. Coutinho, Divisional Commissioner, Belgaum, conducted the elections for which police had made elaborate security arrangements. The proceedings started with a faux pas -- the nomination papers were filed by members even before they were sworn in as members. Although the JD(S) members took exception to this, no party raised the issue in the House after the members had been sworn in.

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Section  : Southern States
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