The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : 56 elected to BMP standing committees

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 23, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

56 elected to BMP standing committees

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, DEC. 22. After a day's hectic activity and high drama, 56 members of the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) Council were elected unanimously to eight standing committees on Wednesday.

Internal squabbles and dissidence had forced the ruling Congress in the BMP to postpone the elections twice in the last 20 days.

Today too it was not certain whether the elections would be held. Scheduled at 11 a.m., the elections were first postponed to noon and then to 3.30 p.m. They were finally conducted at 4.30 p.m. even as the Congress leaders wrangled to decide on the candidates.

Unlike in the past, chairpersons to seven of the eight committees were also elected on the same day.

M. Muniraju (Bhashyam Nagar), M.K. Gunashekar (Vasanthnagar), N. Venkataswamy (Bapujinagar), T.V. Prabhu (Sudhamanagar), Amudha Gopichand (Hoysalanagar), Y.L. Rajalakshmi Janakiram (Domlur) and M.S. Vasanthkumari (Gandhinagar) were elected unopposed as chairpersons.

The Mayor, R. Narayanaswamy, who had been under fire for postponing the elections twice, announced that these members would head the Standing Committees on Taxation and Finance, Public Health, Town Planning and Development, Public Works, Education and Social Justice, Appeals, Horticulture and Markets, respectively.

Earlier, he announced that the nomination papers filed by members for the eight committees were found in order after scrutiny.

"As only the required 56 members have filed the nomination papers, they have been unanimously elected as members of the eight committees," the Mayor said.

While, Mr. Muniraju from Bhashyam Nagar, who had missed the Mayoral post narrowly, has been elected as the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Works, Mr. Udayshankar from Mavalli, who was trying for the ruling party leader's post, has been elected as member of the Education Committee.

With this, G. Padmavathy (Prakashnagar), G. Krishnappa (Govindrajnagar) and B.T. Sreenivas Murthy (Azad Nagar) are now in the fray for the party leader's post.

The election of the party leader and the Chairman of the Accounts Committee could not be conducted as there were more than two members vying for the posts.

Though the Congress is the single largest party with 59 seats in the 100-member council, the party leaders struck a deal with all the three Opposition parties to avoid elections and save time. It gave one or two memberships to the Janata Dal(S), Janata Dal(U) and the Bharatiya Janata Party in each of the eight standing committees.

Elected members

The following have been elected to the Taxation and Finance Committee: M.K. Gunashekar (Congress), R. Keshavmurthy (Congress), B. Muniraju (Congress), S.D. Jayamma (Congress), Kokila Chandrashekar (independent), Pratima Raghu (BJP) and S.K. Nataraj (BJP).

Town Planning and Development: T.V. Prabhu (Congress), B.S. Lokesh Reddy (Janata Dal-U), L.A. Jayalakshmi (Congress), Nazreen Naaz Mujeeb (Congress), L. Srinivas (BJP), V. Nagaraj (Janata Dal-S) and Mahalakshmi B.K. Venkatesh (Janata Dal-S).

Public Health: N. Venkataswamy (Congress), Munivenkatappa (Congress), Mahadevamma Nagaraj (Congress), H. Venkatesh Reddy (Congress), Nagaratna Chandrappa Reddy (BJP), B. Somashekar (BJP) and Chandramma (Janata Dal-S).

Public Works: H. Muniraju (Congress), H. Jayaram (Congress), Revamma (Congress), Abdul Raqeeb Zakir (Congress), R. Gayatri (BJP), N. Gowramma (Janata Dal-S) and Shivraj (Janata Dal-S).

Education and Social Justice: Amudha Gopichand (Congress), N. Munireddy (Janata Dal-U), M. Udayshankar (Congress), C. Munikrishna (BJP), A.H. Basavaraju (BJP), Rajendra Rao (Janata Dal-S) and C. Dundegowda (Janata Dal-S).

Appeals: Y.L. Rajalakshmi Janakiram (Congress), M. Muniraju (Congress), Srinivas (Congress), N. Indira (Congress), Nagaratna (BJP), Ashwathamma (Janata Dal-S) and T. Ramachandra (Janata Dal-S)

Horticulture and Markets: M.S. Vasanthkumari (Congress), B.N. Narasimha Murthy (Congress), K.S. Samiulla (Congress), N. Nagaraj (Congress), C.S. Suryakanth Rao (BJP), M. Marimuttu (Janata Dal-S) and Vijaya (Janata Dal-S).

Accounts: G. Basavaraju (Congress), M. Saravanna (Congress), M. Nagaraj (Congress), V. Srinivas (Congress), K.M. Geeta Sadashiva (BJP), Zareena Begum (Janata Dal-S) and Syed Jameel Ahmed (Janata Dal-S).

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka

News Update

Stories in this Section

56 elected to BMP standing committees

Narayana Murthy happy with decision on airport

Roads around Vidhana Soudha to be widened

BJP MPs demand implementation of rehabilitation package

Timeframe set for streetlight maintenance

Archdiocese to focus on AIDS awareness

Around the City

In Bangalore Today

Campus Jottings: Work experience mandatory for TASMAC MBA