Mangaluru (The Hindu): A former MLA and one among the five past presidents of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, who contested the zilla panchayat elections, have lost.

The outgoing president of the zilla panchayat, Asha Thimmappa Gowda, and former presidents Koragappa Naik and K.P. Sucharitha Shetty, all from the BJP, and Mamatha D.S. Gatty, from the Congress, made it to the zilla panchayat.

K. Padmanabha Kottari, who had been elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2004 from the erstwhile Vitla constituency on BJP ticket, who contested as a BJP candidate from the Sajipamunnur zilla panchayat constituency in Bantwal taluk, lost the election to the Congress candidate Chandraprakash Shetty. Mr. Shetty defeated Mr. Kottari by a margin of 2,172 votes.

With this, the BJP’s plan to push Mr. Kottari to the post of president of the zilla panchayat depending on the reservation of the post has received a setback.

K.T. Shailaja Bhat, a former president of the zilla panchayat from the BJP, lost the election to Manjula Madhava Mave of the Congress in the Mani constituency in Bantwal taluk. She lost the election by a margin of 1,913 votes.

Ms. Gowda defeated Vimala Rangayya of the Congress in Guthigar constituency in Sullia taluk by a margin of 4,010 votes. She had been elected to the ZP last time from the Bellare constituency in the same taluk. The Bellare constituency was also won by the BJP this time with S.N. Manmatha, a former chairman of the Karnataka Forest Development Corporation, making it to ZP by defeating Rajeevi Rai R. of the Congress by a margin of 1,370 votes.

Mr. Naik won the election from Dharmasthala constituency in Belthangady taluk by a margin of 1,828 votes over Ramesha B. of the Congress.

Mr. Shetty won the election from Puttige constituency in Mangaluru taluk by defeating Chandrahasa Sanil of the Congress by a margin of 91 votes. Ms. Gatty defeated Shakila Kulal of the BJP by a margin of 2,855 votes from Kurnad constituency in Bantwal taluk.