Mayor Sampath Raj to focus on big cleanup of trash and drains, fix roads

BENGALURU: R Sampath Raj, two-time Congress corporator from Devarajeevana Halli ward in Pulakeshinagar constituency, was voted in the city's 51st mayor, amid chaos in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) council hall on Thursday.
Padmavathi Narasimhamurthy of the JD(S), which has allied with the Congress for the election, secured the deputy mayor's post.She represents Rajagopala Nagar ward in Dasarahalli constituency. This year, the mayor's post was reserved for an SC candidate, while the deputy mayor's post was reserved for a woman.
On his plans for the city , Sampath Raj said, “The garbage issue will be my top priority , and we will ensure it is cleared and segregated at source. Cleaning of storm water drains to tackle flooding will also be a priority.“ He said that ongoing road repair work, including filling of potholes, would continue.
Apart from the 198 corporators, the 266-member BBMP council included MLAs and MPs elected from Bengaluru, and MLCs having addresses in Bengaluru.With 134 as the magic number to win the poll, Raj bagged 139 votes and Padmavathi got 138 votes.
High drama preceded the election, with BJP members boycotting proceedings and alleging that the elections were unfair.Both Raj and Padmavathi were elected unanimously, as the BJP, which had nominated S Muniswamy from Kadugodi (ward 83) and Mamtha KB Vasudev from JP Garden (ward 17) for the two posts, staged a walkout to protest the alleged “irregular election“.
Using the term “bogus votes“, BJP members said that despite not being residents of Bengaluru, a few Congress MLCs and MPs had been allowed to cast their votes. A shouting match ensued, with voters taking potshots at rival parties, and accusing each other of collecting bogus votes. Soon after, the BJP walked out of the hall, and voting was a mere formality .
This is the second consecutive year that the BJP has walked during the election. Last year, after voting for the mayor's post, they staged a walkout before voting for the post of deputy mayor commenced.
Sampath Raj is said to have the backing of energy minister DK Shivakumar, and chief minister Siddaramaiah finalized his name on Wednesday night. Govind Raj of Subhash Nagar ward, Velu Naikar of Lakshmidevi Nagar and Anjinappa of Begur ward were the other aspirants for the post.
MPs Rajeev Gowda, MLA DK Suresh, ministers Ramalinga Reddy, KJ George, Krishna Byregowda, Roshan Baig, KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao and others were there to support the Congress candidate. Former CM Veerappa Moily , former Union ministers Jairam Ramesh, Oscar Fernandes and Rahman Khan were also present. From the BJP, the absence of leaders DV Sadananda Gowda, Ananthkumar and Nirmala Sitharaman was conspicuous.
FIRST DAY, FIRST SHOW
Packing in as much as possible into his first day in office, mayor R Sampath Raj made a series of visits and inspections on Thursday.His first visit was to Shanthinagar, where he inspected storm water drains, and flood-prone areas, including Annamma temple and the Seshadripuram underpass. He also garlanded the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, BR Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, Kempegowda and Sangolli Rayanna. He visited the offices of CM Siddaramaiah and the Karnataka Film Chamber. Finally, he inspected rain-affected areas in HSR Layout with the commissioner.
WIFE'S EXPECTATIONS
Sampath Raj's family, including his sisters, wife and their two sons, were present in the hall, lending support and watching the proceedings. “I expect the same things from him, as the rest of the public does -to be responsible and proactive while dealing with serious issues like the rain damage,“ said Kavitha.
THE SWACHH ACT
Celebrating the victory of the newly elected mayor, Congress members burst crackers outside the building housing the council hall, shortly after the election results. Once they were done, BJP workers picked up brooms and swept up the papery remains, highlighting the Swachh Bharat Mission.