MANGALORE: With the election for the post of Mayor and Deputy Mayor in Mangalore City Corporation coming up, the change in reservation for both the posts to general category has upset the women corporators.

Earlier the reservation was women from general category for Mayor and women for Deputy Mayor. But with the amendment to the Karnataka Corporation (elections) Act the reservation has been changed to general category for both the posts.

Lobbying

The Congress party has therefore turned into a beehive of lobbyists for the Mayor's post. The district in-charge Minister B. Nagaraj Shetty had moved the Government to change the reservation policy.

This change will have no effect on the prospects of the Bharathiya Janata Party (BJP), as it is in the minority while its effect on the Congress can ruin the unity of members of the corporation. All Congress party members are candidates for the Mayor's post. The party in the council has split into groups: Billava, Catholics and Mogaveeras, Muslims and other backward communities. The women corporators are protesting against the change in the reservation for the two posts. They have appealed to Rajya Sabha member B. Janardhana Poojary who has promised the Mayor's post for women. Leader of the women corporators Hilda Alva blamed Mr. Shetty for lobbying for change in reservation with the Government. She said BJP had no hopes to get its candidate elected, but still he had brought in the change. She said he had done injustice to the Corporation and to the women of the city by denying them their right to have a woman Mayor.

Ms. Alva plans to take a delegation of women corporators to Bangalore and lodge a protest with the Chief Minister and the Urban Development Minister against the amendment.

Former Mayor Purandardas Kulur and senior members of the corporation such as Mahabala Maarla and K. Diwakar are also backing them.

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