Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Oct 22: The state high court has given its green signal to hold elections to the posts of presidents and vice presidents for all the 59 municipalities in the state.

The division bench of the high court vacated the stay order issued by the single judge bench of the high court to the notification issued by the government on October 8, fixing reservation criteria for the election of presidents and vice presidents of these bodies. The division bench led by senior judge Justice B V Nagaratna directed the state government to complete the election process before November 2.

The bench, which heard arguments placed by advocates also paved way for holding election to the posts of the presidents and vice presidents of Hassan, Arasikere, Shidlaghatta, Koppal and Harihar municipalities against which petitions have been filed, duly making it clear that the result of these elections will be subject to the final outcome of the case filed in the high court.

On October 15, a single judge bench presided over by Justice R Devadas had issued interim order staying the election process. A three-member committee comprising state additional advocate general Dhyan Chinnappa, senior advocate of the election commission, K N Phaneendra and senior advocate A S Ponnanna to examine the rotational reservation criteria and file draft report. The state government had appealed to the division bench against this order.