Dharwad (Karnataka) [India], June 30 : BJP corporator Jyothi Patil was elected Mayor of the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) for its 24th term, while Santosh Chawan was elected Deputy Mayor in the mayoral elections held on Monday.
Jyothi Patil, a first-time corporator from Ward 19 and an MBA graduate, secured 47 votes to win the mayoral post. Santosh Chawan, representing Ward 49, also secured 47 to become Deputy Mayor.
The results were announced by Election Presiding Officer SB Shettennavara, the Regional Commissioner of the Belagavi Division.
Union Minister and senior BJP leader, Pralhad Joshi, congratulated both BJP corporators and hailed the party's victory.
Speaking to the media, Joshi said, "Today, the 24th Hubballi Dharwad Mayor elections were conducted and with a good majority, two BJP corporators, Jyothi Patil and Santosh Chawan, were elected as Mayor and Deputy Mayor."
However, Joshi also took the opportunity to criticise the Congress-led state government, accusing it of deliberately withholding essential funds from the BJP-run civic body.
He alleged that the Karnataka government, under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, was showing a "step-motherly attitude" towards HDMC.
"From the past decade, the BJP-led Municipal Corporation has been trying to do really good work. But in the last two years of the Congress government, the required funds from the state government for development works and salary components have not been provided. More than Rs 300 crore is yet to be paid to the Municipal Corporation by the Siddaramaiah-led government. They are delaying it and not cooperating because there is a BJP-ruled body in the MNC. In a way, the government appears bankrupt," Joshi claimed.
He further said, "I urge them that just because the MNC is a BJP-ruled body, you cannot have a step-motherly attitude. Improve your finances, and release the required funds."
In the mayoral election, Jyothi Patil from Dharwad defeated Suvarna Kallakuntala (Ward 59) of the Congress and Vaheedakhanam Allabhaksh Kittur (Ward 76) of the AIMIM.
Out of 90 eligible voters, 87 were present, including 82 corporators and key political leaders such as Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, BJP MLAs Arvind Bellad and Mahesh Tenginakai, BJP MLC SV Sankanur, and Congress MLA Prasad Abbayya.