Mangalore : The election to the Mangalore City Corporation is fast approaching. The  city has been seeing hectic political activities since the past few days. Nominations have been filed by Congress as well as BJP candidates as well as candidates of other parties and independents.

In most of the wards it will be old faces, while new faces have been given chances in some wards. After five long years of BJP rule, will  Mangalore city once again opt for the BJP, or will it lean towards the Congress this time?

It is a known fact that the BJP rule in Mangalore city corporation was not free from scams, corruptions and irregularities. Though the BJP claims concretization of roads as its main achievement, it is equally true that the concretization has left many more roads in total disarray. The footpaths are missing and bus shelters have vanished at many more places, posing a lot of inconvenience to the common man.

None of the BJP mayors failed to make a mark except for Shanker Bhat. However, during the last year of its tenure, the BJP was forced to cope with a Congress mayor in an unprecedented development, after the nomination for the BJP candidate for mayor Roopa D Bangera was rejected on the grounds that she had failed to furnish her caste certificate as per requirement. It  was thus that Gulzar Banu of the Congress became a mayor by default. Even a court upheld her appointment as mayor when just a few days were left for Gulzar Banu’s tenure to expire.

The Congress leaders say the BJP has several achievements to its  credit like increase in SAS property tax, water bill etc etc. The bad interior roads reveals the efficiency of the administration, they make a mockery.

As of now Congress leaders are ecstatic. They claim the situation was very much conducive for a Congress win. They also feel that the several scandals that have rocked the state government will also have a bearing on the MCC polls. The formation of KJP by the former CM Yeddyurappa is also a big blow to the BJP, they feel.

However, the BJP on its part is optimistic and claims it has initiated several good measures like  solid waste management etc etc. But, will these achievements help the BJP win polls or will the Congress make it this time ?

The BJP is also facing the allegation of failing to give due representation to Muslim candidates. This will certainly have a bearing.

Now that the nomination filing process is completed, all candidates will henceforth concentrate on poll campaigning and surely many more promises will be made. But how many of them will be fulfilled is something to be debated upon.

Will  Mangalore see a corporation ruled by the BJP once again or will the Congress regain past glory ? One will have to wait until the elections are  held and countings take place.