BBMP Elections: Congress and JD(S) win BBMP mayoral polls

Bengaluru, Sep 28: Congress corporator Gangambike Mallikarjun has been elected as 52nd Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) mayor while JD(S) corporator Ramila elected as deputy mayor on Friday.

Congress has fielded a Lingayat candidate for Mayor post in the 259 members BBMP. The party justified Gangambike's candidature saying no Lingayat was elected as BBMP mayor earlier, now the community got justice.

Shanthi Nagar ward corporator Sowmya P contested for Deputy Mayor post.

Congress MLA Byrathi Basavaraj exuded confidence that Congress candidate will easily win BBMP mayor polls. He also accused BJP leaders of trying to lure independent corporators by offering money.

BJP fielded Padmanabhanagar ward corporator Shobha Anjanappa in the Mayoral election and Pratibha Dhanraj as deputy mayor candidate. Shobha is a first-time corporator and belongs to Vokkaliga community.

According to reports, Union Ministers Ananth Kumar and Nirmala Sitharaman remained absent. Ananth Kumar is out of the country and Nirmala Sitharaman is said to be busy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's programme.

BBMP has been ruled by Congress-JDS coalition for the last three years and the outgoing mayor Sampath Raj belongs to the Congress party. Thursday was Sampath Raj's last day as a mayor.