Mangalore: Mayoral elections: HC annuls reservation for women candidates
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (NM)
Mangalore, Jan 6: The high court on Monday January 6 annulled the notification on the reservation of mayoral posts in Mangalore and other cities, and directed the state government to draw up a fresh reservation criteria for the post.
In August 2013, the state government had announced the roster of reservation with respect to Mangalore, Hubli-Dharwad, Belgaum, Davangere, Bellary, Gulbarga and other corporations, with the post of mayor reserved for a woman candidate from general category.
The mayoral elections in Mangalore were scheduled to be held on September 12, 2013, but were postponed indefinetely after JD(S) corporator Abdul Aziz Kudroli challenged the notification in the high court, contending that the mayor's post had been reserved for women candidates four times in six years. In September first week, just before the election was to be held, the high court ordered a stay on the notification.
The high court in its latest order also asked the government to fix the reservation within two months.
The election for the urban local body was held in March 2013, but the announcement of the reservation of the post of mayor came nearly six months later. The election in Mangalore was won by Congress, but without a mayor, the responsibility of running the administration was shouldered by the deputy commissioner and the officials of the city corporation for the last one year.
Speaking to daijiworld, corporator Aziz Kudroli welcomed the court's decision and said that it was a victory for the cause he and his supporters were fighting for.