MANGALORE : The BJP leadership is still in a dilemma over the selection of a mayoral candidate for Mangalore. Though the sitting deputy mayor Rajani Dugganna, and corporators Shantha R and Roopa D Bangera are in the race, all the three are facing opposition from within their party itself. Interestingly, the candidature of Rajani Dugganna is opposed by former mayor Ganesh Hosabettu and three Dalit corporators.
It has now been learnt that the opposition of Dalit corporators was following the reports that Rajani Dugganna had seen to it that the reservation of mayoral post for a Dalit candidate had been cancelled by her by exerting her influence.
It is also learnt that several other corporators of the ruling party were opposing Rajani’s candidature on the grounds that the Hosabettu ward would be getting undue representation in case Rajani was made the mayor. According to them, Rajani Dugganna though hailing from Tadambail ward had become corporator of Hosabettu ward, while Ganesh Hosabettu who is from Hosabettu ward had won the elections from Kulai ward.
In fact the strife between Ganesh Hosabettu and Rajani Dugganna is not a recent one. During Ganesh Hosabettu’s tenure of mayor, he had allocated Rs one crore for the development of a lake in Hosabettu. But Rajani who realizing that the development of the lake would make Ganesh much popular, exerted her influence and saw to it that the grant was cancelled. This complaint, it seems has been made by none else but Ganesh Hosabettu himself.
Both the leaders had even indulged in mud slinging in public on several occasions. Now, Ganesh Hosabettu it seems was leaving no stone unearthed in depriving Rajani Dugganna of the mayoral seat.
Meanwhile, the opposition to the candidature of Roopa D Bangera was on the grounds that her entire family had a Congress, Communist background. In fact Roopa’s husband Dinesh Bangera who had contested as an independent last time had helped in the victory of Congress candidate Diwaker. Even Dinesh’s father is active in the Communist movement. The anti-Roopa lobby is also arguing that Roopa was not even an active party member and henceforth should be denied the mayoral post.
Meanwhile, several women corporators of the BJP themselves are against the candidature of Shantha who is the BJP local Mahila Morcha chief. The allegation against her is that let apart party organizational matters, she was not even mingling with the electorate of her ward and even other corporators.
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