From chemical froth on the roads to flooding, Bengaluru has been beset with civic woes (File)
Voting to select a new mayor for the city of Bengaluru will be held today. Corporators are allowed to vote, along with MLAs, MLCs and MPs from the area covered by civic agency BBMP limits. The term of the mayor is one year and the outgoing mayor is the Congress's G Padmavathi.
Although the BJP is the largest party among the eligible voters, there is expected to be no drama after the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) made it clear that like last year, they would work together to ensure victory for their candidates as mayor and deputy mayor.
For the Congress-JDS combine, the candidate for Mayor's post is the Congress's Sampath Raj, corporator from DG Halli; G Padmavathi, representing Rajagopalnagar for the JDS, is candidate for deputy mayor.
The BJP is fielding S Muniswamy from Kadugodi for the mayor's post and Mamata Vasudev from JP Park for the post of deputy mayor.
Two years ago there was confusion with the BJP, which recorded the most votes, celebrating its win, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi even sending a congratulatory tweet -- before the Congress-JD(S) combine turned the tables and claimed both seats.
The new mayor will inherit several civic challenges that have bruised the image of India's information technology hub.
Heavy rains inevitably lead to
flooding of low-lying areas despite BBMP campaigns to clear encroachments from lake beds and storm water drains. Solid waste management remains a big issue with methods to deal with the waste produced by the city still a work in progress. Damaged roads and lakes that froth with pollution are other seemingly eternal problems.