Tasneem Bano elected as first Muslim woman mayor of Mysuru: 31-year-old JD(S) corporator wants to retain 'clean city' tag

Tasneem Bano, a Janata Dal (Secular) corporator, was elected as the first-ever Muslim woman Mayor of Mysuru on 18 January. The 31-year old is also the youngest person to be elected to the post. Arif Hussain was the first Muslim mayor of Mysuru (1996) and while many non-Muslim women have also held the post, according to a report in the  Deccan Herald, Tasneem is the first Muslim woman to be elected as the first citizen of the city. [caption id=“attachment_7936921” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Tasneem Bano. News18[/caption] Tasneem, who was fielded by the Congress-JD(S) alliance, polled 47 of the 70 votes while her rival, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Geetha Yoganand polled 23 votes, said a report in The Hindu. Her party colleague C Sridhar defeated BJP candidate Shantamma for the deputy mayor post, added the report. Tasneem had been chosen as the Congress- JD(S) candidate in a seat-sharing pact under which the parties had agreed to pick a mayoral candidate from each of their camps during the tenure of the Mysore City Corporation (MCC). The alliance had won the city corporation elections last year. According to a report in The Indian Express, Tasneem was rewarded with the nomination for her success in organising workers at the grassroots level for her party, and her performance as a popular corporator. Tasneem, who represents ward number 26 — Meena Bazar — holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the Maharani College in Mysuru. Born to a tailor and a homemaker, Tasneem has spent her entire life in Meena Bazar area. According to reports, her husband, Syed Samiulla, is a social activist, and she has two children of school-going age. She began her political career ahead of the March 2013 MCC elections. As her ward was reserved for women from the Backward Classes (A category), she was given a ticket by the Congress replacing her uncle and three-time corporator Alhaj Naseeruddin Babu, said the Indian Express report. She was chosen as a candidate again in 2018 on a JD(S) ticket. Tasneem had switched sides as part of a Congress faction that chose to back JD(S) around the state legislative Assembly elections. According to the report in the Deccan Herald, upon her election, Tasneem thanked JD(S) supremo HD Devegowda and other party leaders for their support and declared that she would work towards retaining the “Clean City” tag held by Mysuru. “Mysuru is known for cleanliness. Thus, my first priority is to maintain cleanliness and I will work towards retaining the ‘Clean City’ tag. The city is facing issues related to street lights among others for many days. I will make prompt attempts to resolve them,” the report quoted her as saying. She told T_he Indian Express_ that plans have been prepared to ensure uninterrupted water supply and electricity, underground drainage system, and a platform for citizens to provide constant feedback to the Corporation’s efforts.