Silvester D’ Souza

Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Mar 3: A no confidence decision was tabled here in the leadership of Kundapur assistant commissioner in view of vacating of high court stay initiated by the panchayat president. Most members in the gram panchayat having 26 members had raised their differences against its president. The meeting was held in gram panchayat auditorium.

Twenty one members out of twenty six raised their hands indicating their no confidence against gram panchayat president Janaki Billava. The remaining five members cast their votes in favour of the president. A decision was taken for the vice president to take the responsibility of the president until new president is elected. The decision pulled the curtain for the fights for the post of president during the last four months.

Janaki BIllava (left) and Udaya Nayak

The case

Most BJP members had won elections held in Koteshwar gram panchayat. BJP ladies morcha president of BJP Kundapur block committee Janaki Billava had got the position of Koteshwar panchayat president. A decision was taken to vacate the position of the president after two and a half years. But there were rumours later that president Janaki Billava does not work well with the members and harassing the members. Therefore, the members had taken a decision of no confidence to urge the president to vacate her position soon after her term.

But Janaki Billava approached the high court stating that inner decision after two and a half years is illegal as per Panchayat Raj Act. The high court which scrutinized the appeal by Janaki Billava had put a stay on the no confidence decision. There were fights between members. The factions supporting and opposing the president had fought through the media also. Finally the no confidence decision was taken after the stay order was vacated by the court. As the no confidence was tabled, president Janaki Billava walked out of the meeting hall.