Mangalore : Dr. Kailkere Mohandas Bhandary of Mangalore has been elected at the Karnataka Medical Council in the elections conducted on 31-08-2011.

Among the six candidates elected in this constituency, Dr. Bhandary has been elected in the Non Teachers Constituency 3(2)(a) as per the Karnataka Medical Registration Act 34 of 1961. The other candidates were Dr. Veerabadraiah T. A., Dr. Ravindra H.N., Dr. Basavaraju, Dr. Nagaraj Annegowda and Dr. Kanchi Pralhad V.

As a Founder President of Family Doctors Association (R), Mangalore, Dr Bhandary has also served as the president of IMA Mangalore Branch. He is actively involved in a wide range of social and cultural activities.

Election Background:

Karnataka Medical Council is the mandatory professional body for registration of doctors in the state. It began as Mysore Medical Council and was constituted under the Mysore Medical Registartion of Act 1931 to have a uniform law relating to the registration of practitioners modern system of medicine. 

The governing council of this autonomous state sponsored body comprises of 5 government nominees and 10 members elected by the registered doctors through postal ballot. Of these 4 members are from teacher category and 6 are from non-teacher category. Though the term of office bearers is only for a period of 5 years, it is unfortunate that no election had been held for the last 15 years. The outgoing team headed by its president Dr. Chikkananjappa has been continuously occupying office during this period, thereby compromising the democratic values of this institution. Subsequently the elections were forced through judicial intervention, marking a return to democratic style of functioning.

The postal ballot procedure commenced with the dispatch of ballot papers under certificate of posting on 20th July 2011 and concluded on the last date for receipt of filled ballot papers on 29th August 2011 at noon. This was followed by counting of ballots and announcement of results on 31-08-2011