With the Belagavi City Corporation Mayor and Deputy Mayor elections scheduled for March 18, political activity within the ruling BJP faction has intensified. Corporators have begun lobbying as internal discussions gather pace. According to sources, the Mayor’s post is likely to go to the South Division this time, while the Deputy Mayor’s post may be allocated to the North Division.
The Mayor’s post this year is reserved for the General Women category. Several women corporators are in the race, but discussions within the ruling party suggest the possibility of selecting a woman from the Weaver community in South Belagavi.
In the 2021 municipal elections, three women corporators from the Weaver community were elected on BJP tickets, and speculation is rife over which of them may be chosen. However, no final decision has been taken yet.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Mayor’s post is expected to go to a BJP corporator from the North Division, with political circles also speculating that a Marathi-speaking corporator could be considered.
Interestingly, with the Mayor’s post expected to be reserved for the General category next year, some corporators are reportedly reluctant to accept the Deputy Mayor’s position now, fearing it could affect their chances of contesting for Mayor later.
Sources indicate that the final decision on both posts will be taken by Belagavi South MLA Abhay Patil, along with senior BJP leaders, after a meeting of ruling party corporators ahead of the election. Currently, both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor are from the South Zone, and the upcoming decision is being closely watched by corporators and political observers alike.