Hubballi: By winning the mayoral poll, the BJP continued its stronghold in HDMC. On Monday, Jyoti Patil of Dharwad and Santosh Chavan from Hubballi were elected mayor and deputy mayor, respectively. Both are first-time corporators.In the elections for Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation’s 24th term, Jyoti Patil from Ward 19 secured victory as mayor with 47 votes. The deputy mayor’s position went to Santosh Chavan from Ward 49, who also received 47 votes. The results were declared by SB Shettennavar, regional commissioner of Belagavi division, who presided over the election. The mayoral contest included Suvarna Kalakuntla of Congress from Ward 59 and Waheeda Khanam Kittur representing Ward 76. For the deputy mayor’s position, Congress corporator Shambhugowda Salamani from Ward 14 competed against the winner Santosh Chavan of BJP.The election procedure involved members voting through a raising of hands. The electoral total comprised 90 voters, including corporators, Parliament members, MLAs, and MLCs. Legislative council chairman Basavaraj Horatti, MLC Pradeep Shettar, and MLA Vinay Kulkarni were not present for the proceedings. Union minister Pralhad Joshi, MLAs Mahesh Tenginakai, Arvind Bellad, Prasad Abbyya, MLC SV Sanknur, who were present, cast their votes to elect new mayor and deputy mayor. The election process was overseen by additional regional commissioner SS Biradar and HDMC commissioner Rudresh Ghali.The newly elected mayor Jyoti Patil highlighted that the cleanliness standards in Hubballi-Dharwad remain inadequate, despite various initiatives by previous mayors. She emphasised that during her tenure, she intends to enhance the cleaning operations and prioritise city beautification efforts.The 42-year-old mayor, who holds an MBA-HR degree, addressed the drinking water supply concerns faced by residents since its management was transferred to L&T. She committed to making dedicated efforts to improve the water distribution system in twin cities. She stated that decisions concerning the twin cities would be made after consulting senior BJP leaders and experienced corporators. Additionally, she plans to organise an all-party delegation to Bengaluru to advocate for the release of funds from the state govt.Santosh Chavan, 47, who holds a BSc degree in electronics, expressed gratitude for being selected as deputy mayor, acknowledging his extensive contributions to the party through various roles, including his involvement with ABVP and his tenure as corporator. He further stated his commitment to serving actively as the deputy mayor of Hubballi-Dharwad.
