Bengaluru: Mahesh Babu, 40, who died in a road accident early on Sunday morning near Mandya, was a second time corporator from Lakkasandra ward (no 146) representing the BJP.

During his previous term, he served as chairman of the standing committee for Social Justice. He was also the general secretary of the SC/ST morcha last year and could have been named the party president for the BTM assembly constituency. The names are to be announced on Wednesday, said former BJP corporator and his friend N.R. Ramesh.

“Mr Babu was an honest worker and earned the love and trust of voters in his ward. He was a devotee of Chamundeshwari and was returning to city after visiting Chamundi Hills in Mysuru on Saturday. He was to leave Mysuru on Saturday night, but rescheduled his programme. Instead of taking his bigger car, Innova, he took a small car which cost his life,” Mr Ramesh said.

“Soon after the accident, he called me and told me about the accident. Some passersby shifted him to a private hospital in an ambulance. If the ambulance had oxygen facility, he might have survived,” he said.

MLA R. Ashok and Mayor B.N. Manjunath Reddy offered condolences to the family of Mr Babu. “I met him just on Saturday as I was on city rounds. He met me for a short while, exchanged greetings and left. It's unbelievable that he is no more with us,” the mayor said.

BBMP holiday today
Following the death of Lakkasandra corporator Mahesh Babu, BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad declared a holiday for the Palike on Monday. However, essential services like solid waste management, health services and markets will function as usual.