The Hindu

• Dharanendra Kumar was voted out through a no-trust motion
• The candidate has to be from JD(S) as per power-sharing formula
• The party likely to decide the candidate on Monday

Mangalore, Feb 8: The Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat vice-president will be elected on February 20. The post fell vacant after P Dharanendra Kumar of the Janata Dal (Secular) was voted out through a no-confidence motion.

Eighteen members of the Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal (S) ruling combine had moved the motion. A.S. Srikanth, regional commissioner, Mysore, will conduct the election. The post of vice-president is reserved for a general category candidate.As per the power-sharing arrangement between the BJP and the Janata Dal (S), the vice-president will be from the Janata Dal (S) for the remainder of the first 20-month period in the 60-month term of the panchayat.

Two Janata Dal (S) members —Kumar and Babu Mugera — are loyal to the former district Janata Dal (S) president Vasanth Bangera. They have fallen out with the State Janata Dal (S) leadership for having backed Bangera, who is opposed to the party's alliance with the BJP. The other three Janata Dal (S) members in the panchayat — Aziz Malar, K P Sucharitha Shetty and Rajashree Hegde — part of the ruling combine, are with the former Minister K Amarnath Shetty.

Malar told the reporter that he was not interested in contesting the election. However, Malar added that the party had not decided on who would replace Kumar. A decision was likely to be taken when the party leaders meet here on Monday, he said.