Demand for early polls to Mysuru City Corporation increases

Calls for early elections to the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) are becoming more urgent. Former MCC corporator S. B. M. Manju spoke on March 19, expressing concerns over the delay in elections. He used to represent ward number 6 in Gokulam until November 2023. Manju criticized the Congress party for not holding elections for more than a year after the previous term ended. He argued that only elected representatives can effectively address local issues. He noted that without elected officials, vital civic tasks have been neglected, and funds for projects have gone unspent. The outstanding payments to contractors have risen dramatically from ₹40 crore to ₹450 crore, he claimed. Financial problems are affecting the MCC's ability to function. There has been a significant shortfall in property tax and water bill collections over the past two years. Property tax collections alone fell short by over ₹70 crore. For 2023-24, the city collected only ₹74 crore of the ₹299 crore owed for water bills. Manju stressed the need for prompt elections to fulfill the civic needs of Mysuru. His call for early polls aligns with demands from the MCC Elections Struggle Committee. Arvind Sharma, the committee convener, believes the Karnataka government is delaying elections to consider a Greater Mysuru City Corporation (GMCC) that would merge several nearby areas into one body. Sharma urged the government to hold MCC elections now rather than wait for the GMCC. He argued that the real estate sector wants the GMCC to increase land values in new private developments. However, he believes Mysuru is not yet ready for such a merger, as it still needs to attract more industries and jobs. Meanwhile, local MLA G. T. Deve Gowda supported the idea of the GMCC, noting that existing urban bodies are struggling to provide services in newly developed areas. The debate over the MCC elections and the proposed GMCC continues as residents await resolution.