Belagavi: As the countdown for the mayoral polls begins in Belagavi, the pro-Marathi group in the Belagavi City Corporation has reportedly decided to take all its 32 corporators to a resort in Shiroda, near Goa until election day, March 4 to prevent them from defecting to the pro-Kannada group and retain the mayor's post.
Meanwhile, aware that it cannot win even if all its 25 corporators and MLAs and MPs vote for its candidate, the pro-Kannada goup is hoping district minister , Satish Jarkiholi will come to its help again .
In the past many pro-Marathi corporators have defected to its side following persuasion by Mr Jarkiholi and the local MLAs and so the group is hoping a few of the rival corporators will join them this time too with the right persuasion.
Otherwise , they fear an easy win for the pro-Marathi group which has 32 corporators and the additional vote of MLA, Sambhaji Patil.
With the mayor's post reserved for women in the general category this year, deputy mayor Meena Vaz, and pro-Marathi corporators Sarita Patil, Vaishali Hulji Sudha Bhatkande and Madhushri Pujari are in the race for it.
But Ms Patil seems to be the frontrunner. A committee comprising mayor Kiran Sainak, leader of the ruling faction, Pandari Parab, five-time mayor , Sambhaji Patil, corporators , Vijay Patil, Ratan Masekar and Anant Deshpande has been constituted by the pro-Marathi group to decide on its candidate for mayor.
To avoid differences cropping up among its members, the committee has decided to hold discussions to come up with a consensus by March 3.
Senior Congress corporator, Jayashri Malagi, meanwhile is a strong contender for the mayor’s post in the pro-Kannada group, which is projecting her as its lone candidate as she is capable of getting the support of some pro-Marathi corporators as well.
