Mallamma S. Valkeri and Aliya Shireen of the Congress after being elected to the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor, respectively, in Kalaburagi on Saturday. | Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI more-in The Congress retained power in the Kalaburagi Mahanagara Palike, winning the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor with ease on Saturday. Mallamma Siddramappa Valkeri, from ward no. 44, and Aliya Shireen, from ward no. 24, polled 38 votes each and were elected Mayor and Deputy Mayor, respectively. Arati Suraj Tiwari and Jagadevi M. Soma of the BJP polled 17 votes each. The Mayor’s post is reserved for General category while that of Deputy Mayor is reserved for General Woman. Two Congress councillors, Nadeera Jameel of ward no. 4 and Yasmeen Begum Sheikh Baba of ward no. 21, remained absent during the voting. Dattatreya Patil Revoor, MLA for Kalaburagi South, Basavaraj Mattimud, MLA from Kalaburagi Rural, and MLA B.G. Patil also were absent. Kalaburagi Lok Sabha member M. Mallikarjun Kharge did not turn up for voting. Of the 61 members who voted, 21 Congress members, 12 associate Congress members elected as Independents, three JD(S) councillors, and the two legislators with voting powers voted for the Congress candidates. Regional Commissioner Subodh Yadav, who was the returning officer, announced the results at Town Hall, where the election was conducted. This was followed by celebrations by Congress leaders.

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