Daijiworld Media Network - Kalaburagi (SP)

Kalaburagi, Feb 5: The BJP which was trying to wrest the seat of the mayor of the city has faced loss of face. The state high court's Kalaburagi bench, on Friday, February 4, nullified the government's action in making changes in the reservation criterion for the seat of the mayor, and also the power vested with the councillors from other districts the right to vote in the corporation election.

A bench of the high court presided over by Justice E S Indiresh, delivered this important verdict on Friday. The bench said that the writ petition has been upheld. It ordered to hold the mayoral election as per the notification issued by the returning officer on November 6. It also set a deadline of one month to complete the election exercise.

With this, the notification dated January 27 issued by the returning officer has been quashed. As per this notification, names of Laxman Savadi, Lehar Singh, Bharathi Shetty, Raghunath Valyapure and Muniraju had been added even though they do not belong to the district.

Election for the corporation was held on September 6, 2021. Mayoral election was slated for November 6. Out of 55 seats of the corporation, 27 were with the Congress. With the addition of a Rajya Sabha member and a MLA, the Congress had got strength of 29. BJP has 23 corporators, one MLA, two MLAs and three MLCs, with its total strength reaching 29. As an independent corporator changed over to the BJP, BJP reached the figure of 30. Four corporators belong to the JD(S) and majority mark is 33 out of total strength of 63. BJP had added names of five MLCs in the voters list in order to make sure that it gets power in the corporation and reached the figure of 35. This move was questioned in the high court.