Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Dec 10: The BJP’s hopes of getting a high number of its members elected in the council election have received a little setback, as the memberships of various members of local bodies, who had crossed over to the BJP through ‘Operation Kamala’, have been held invalid.

JDS members had violated the party whip for unseating their own party member from the position of the municipal president, in Mandya, Kollegal and Doddaballapur. Accordingly, the deputy commissioners of Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Bangalore city districts had cancelled the memberships of 13 councillors from Mandya, ten from Kollegal and nine from Doddaballapur. The members, who had lost their seats, had approached the High Court and obtained a temporary stay against the orders of the concerned deputy commissioners.

These members had approached the High Court to get the stay vacated, in order to enable them to cast their votes for the legislative council election. However, Justice Nagamohandas, who took up the hearing, upheld the decisions of the district administration, delivering a blow to the aspirations of the candidates.

Congress and JDS members from various other local bodies, who got lured by Operation Kamala, have also lost their memberships as a result.