Mahabala Marla, Naveen D’Souza -front runners for Mangalore Mayor Post

Mahabala Marla, Naveen D’Souza -front runners for Mangalore Mayor Post

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Mar 6, 2014: With the stage set for election to the post of Mangalore Mayor which will be held in the next few days, reports of late suggest Corporators Mahabala Marla and Naveen D’Souza are the front runners for the post of Mayor.

The  High Court had earlier directed the government to reserve the post of Mayor to a general category candidate while that of Deputy Mayor to a general category woman candidate.

Apart from Marla and Naveen, even senior councillors like Harinath, Lancelot Pinto and Bhasker Moily are key contenders for the top post.

Mahabala Marla, a seasoned politician, understands all the nuances of administration of urban local body and has distanced himself from all sorts of  group politics in the party  for several decades. Marla is also a close associate of  former union minister Janardhan Poojari who is a staunch contender for Lok Sabha ticket from Dakshina Kannada.

Between Marla and Naveen, the latter has  little chances as   sitting MLA of the city belongs to the same community, while another aspirant   Lancelot Pinto has once served as Deputy Mayor and was even given a chance to contest Assembly election. But, one cannot rule out possibility of Jacintha Alfred becoming Deputy Mayor if not Mayor.

In the elections to Mangalore City Corporation council on March 7, 2013, the Congress returned to power after a five-year break. Of the 60 seats in the council, it won 35 seats leaving. The BJP had won in 20, while the JD(S)  had bagged two seats.One seat each to the CPI(M), the Social Democratic Party of India and to an independent.