Bantwala: Moonish Ali, a councilor from the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), has been elected as the Vice President of the Bantwal Municipal Council, marking the first time an SDPI member has held such a position at the municipal level in Dakshina Kannada district.
In the elections held today for the second term of the municipal council, Vasu Pujari of the Congress party was elected as President, with the SDPI’s support proving decisive. The SDPI, a key player in the Bantwal municipality, supported the Congress candidate for the presidency, ensuring their return to power for a second term. In turn, Congress backed Moonish Ali for the vice-presidential position, leading to his historic win.
The election saw a competitive battle for both top positions. BJP’s A. Govinda Prabhu, Congress’s Vasu Pujari Loretto, and SDPI’s Mohammed Idrish PJ initially filed their nominations for the president’s post. However, in a last-minute strategic move, Idrish P.J withdrew his nomination. For the vice-presidential race, BJP’s Hariprasad and SDPI’s Moonish Ali contested.
The results were closely contested. In the presidential election, Vasu Pujari secured 15 votes against BJP’s 13, clinching the victory. The vice-presidential election followed a similar pattern, with Moonish Ali receiving 15 votes, also defeating the BJP candidate who garnered 13 votes.
