Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jan 10: The motion of no confidence moved by Congress councilors of Ullal municipality against their own president, Basil D’Souza, fell through at the special session conducted on Monday January 9, as the Congress councillors staged a walk out. Thereafter, Rayappa, chief officer of the municipality, said that such a motion cannot be moved against the president for a year from now.

It is said that Basil, when he was elevated to the position of the president, had agreed to step down after 15 months, to pave way for another Congress councillor to replace him. As Basil refused to budge and did not resign from the post in spite of pressure exerted on him, a number of Congress councillors had sent petitions to assistant commissioner, giving him notice that they no more have confidence in the president.

At the special session, Congress was expecting defeat of its own president. Although 14 Congress members had signed the petition, one of them, Ratnavati, abstained, reducing their strength to 13. In addition to rebel members of Congress, Rashid Ullal and Dinakar Ullal, six BJP councilors and two from JDS, supported the president. As two CPM members, who had reportedly expressed intention to support the motion remained absent, the motion was sure to get defeated if put to vote. Congress strength was reduced to just 13 including MLA, Khader, in the 27-member body, and the party needed 18 votes to see its motion through. The Congress councillors, sensing that the motion will fall through,  walked out of the session.