Date:01/07/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/07/01/stories/2003070102420400.htm

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

Four-time Mayor Sambhaji Patil creates record

By Our Staff Correspondent

Sambhaji Patil and Veena Sadashiv Kolkar who were elected Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Belgaum on Monday.

Belgaum June 30. History was created here today with Sambhaji Patil becoming the only person in the country to be elected Mayor of a city for the fourth time.

After his election as Belgaum Mayor, Mr. Patil claimed that so far no person had been elected to the post four times. Mr. Patil belongs to the Samabhashik Samavichar Vikas Vedike (SSVV), a group comprising Kannada and Urdu corporators and those of a splinter Marathi faction.

Veena Sadashiv Kolkar became the first woman corporator to be elected Deputy Mayor for the second time in the nearly 20-year history of the BCC. Mr. Patil polled 40 votes against 21 secured by his rival, Dayanand Dinanath Karekar. The BCC comprises 58 elected members, and five nominated members who do not enjoy voting rights.

The election of the Mayor was presided over by the outgoing Mayor, Neelima Chauhan. After taking charge, Mr. Patil conducted the election for the post of Deputy Mayor in which Ms. Kolkar was elected unopposed. In all, seven corporators filed nominations for the post of Mayor, and only three remained in the fray. Reema Rajendra Pawar, who was in the fray for the post of Deputy Mayor, withdrew paving the way for Ms. Kolkar's election.

Even as officials were registering the signatures of members to record their votes, the former Mayor, Shivaji Sunthakar, demanded that the results not be declared, pointing out that the Karnataka High Court had issued an order to that effect. Maintaining that a copy of the court order was with the BCC, he insisted that the Chair ascertain the matter with the authorities concerned.

The Commissioner, Shivayogi Kalsad, clarified that no such order had been received.

Moments after Mr. Patil occupied the Mayor's chair and conducted the election for the Deputy Mayor's post, an official handed over a "legal document" to Mr. Patil. Mr. Sunthakar insisted that the Chair disclose the contents of the document to the members. Mr. Patil said that it was only an affidavit with a signature of a local notary.