Elections for the fourth term of the Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be held on March 18, following an official notification issued by Belagavi Regional Commissioner K. M. Janaki. The tenure of the current mayor and deputy mayor will end on March 14.
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The upcoming election has triggered intense political activity and lobbying within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which currently holds a clear majority in the corporation.
Reservation for Posts
- The Mayor’s post has been reserved for a woman candidate.
- The Deputy Mayor’s post falls under the general category.
Contenders for Mayor Post
Several women corporators are reportedly in the race for the mayor’s position. Leaders from the Lingayat and Nekar communities, which constitute a large section of the elected members in BCC, are actively seeking the post.
The key frontrunners include:
- Deepali Topagi
- Savita Patil
- Preeti Kamkar
- Reshma Kamkar
- Veena Bijapur
Aspirants for Deputy Mayor
For the Deputy Mayor’s post, the prominent names being discussed are:
- Rajshekhar Dhoni
- Santosh Padnekar
- Nitin Jadhav
Political Developments
Sources said several aspirants have started approaching MLAs and senior BJP leaders to secure support ahead of the elections. Party leaders are currently holding internal discussions to finalise the official candidates.
Meanwhile, there is also speculation that the Congress party may field a candidate for the mayor’s post, which could make the contest more interesting despite BJP’s majority.
BCC Composition
The Belagavi City Corporation consists of 58 elected ward members along with five nominated members. The wards fall under the Belagavi North and Belagavi South Assembly constituencies.
Lingayat Community Concern
Ratnaprabha Bellad, district president of the Veerashaiva-Lingayat Mahasabha, stated that the Lingayat community played a crucial role in BJP’s victories in recent Assembly and Parliamentary elections, but alleged that the community is now being overlooked when it comes to key leadership positions in the corporation.
The upcoming election is expected to shape the leadership of the city corporation for the next term, with political negotiations and discussions likely to intensify in the coming days.
Read also : Belagavi MP Shetter Meets Union Minister Gadkari Over Road Projects
