The Congress flag.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Mangaluru: The Congress won the Bantwal Town Municipal Council (TMC) president’s post with the support of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI).
The Congress- SDPI alliance will continue for the next one year and two months. Vasu Poojary Loretto has been elected as the president and SDPI member Munish Ali Ahammed became the vice president. Tahsildar Archana Bhat was the election officer.
The post of president was reserved for general category while that of vice president was reserved for backward classes (A). The council had 27 members. However, Congress member Gangadhan Poojary tendered resignation to the post during the Lok Sabha election. As a result, the total members had been reduced to 26. Accordingly, the BJP and Congress had 11 members each and SDPI had four members.
The BJP had won 13 votes including that of DK MP Capt Brijesh Chowta and MLA Rajesh Naik. However, Congress with the support of SDPI won 15 votes along with the post of the president and vice president.
In the previous term, Congress members Mahammed Shareed and Jecintha D’Souza had served as the president and vice president respectively.
Slamming Congress, Capt Brijesh Chowta said “By joining hands with the SDPI for the Bantwal TMC President and vice president election, Congress has once again shown that their loyalties lie with anti-national forces. SDPI is the political wing of a banned organisation PFI. By openly aligning with the SDPI, the Congress has cheated the people of Bantwal.”
MLA Rajesh Naik said “by allying with the Congress, SDPI has proved that it is the B team of the Congress.”