from daijiworld's political correspondent (MB)
- Poojary's challenge to any 'man' to stop a woman from becoming mayor
- Vijaya Arun knocks High Court's doors for a stay on election
- A dozen caveats filed against issuance of any stay
- Women corporators to stage dharna in front of Vidhana Soudha on Tuesday
Mangalore, Jul 18: July 24 was the original date fixed for the election of mayor of the city. With the revision in the categories eligible for the first citizen and the deputy's posts, it was likely to be put off further.
Now another development has made the date likely to be postponed by a longer period. Besides, with the focus shifting to Bangalore, the scenario is likely to turn more colourful and full of action.
Vijaya Arun
While earlier the mayor's post was reserved for women, intervention by district minister in-charge B Nagaraj Shetty has resulted in the state government's changing it to general category. This makes all the corporators eligible for the post. With Congress holding a massive majority with 45 members in a house of 60, at least all Congress members are eligible. This has kindled sparks of ambition amongst aspirants who so far did not even have the slightest chance of ascending to the top post.
It is more intriguing what made Nagaraj Shetty, a BJP man, to manipulate the existing set-up, while his party, with 13 members, hardly has any chance to grab either post. Political circles are puzzled over the possible motive behind this move. His step has already angered women corporators and backward sections, the latter for depriving their category of getting elected to the deputy's post.
Jacintha , Kavitha
Sonia, Surekha
All eligible candidates for the post of mayor
Two days ago, Rajya Sabha member and former state president of Congress Janardhan Poojary had thundered that if it was city mayor, it got to be a woman. It is being analyzed that while saying "Let me see which 'man' would stop a woman from becoming a mayor" he was in fact throwing a veiled challenge to minister Shetty to stop the process of a woman being made the mayor.
Vijaya Arun, said to be an aspirant to the mayor's post under women's category, has now taken legal recourse in the matter. She has filed a petition in the state High Court, questioning the change in the reservation. While seeking a stay on the election, she has requested for the reinstatement of the earlier criterion for the mayoral post.
On the other hand, as many as 12 caveats have been filed in the High Court against issuance of any stay order.
All these petitions are likely to come up for hearing on Tuesday, July 18. The outcome is being eagerly awaited. In the meantime, the women corporators of Mangalore have planned a dharna in front of Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore, to protest against the injustice meted out to women by changing the reservation to 'gender-no-bar' category.
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