Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Dr. Sharan Prakash Patil termed the decision by the Regional Commissioner of Kalaburagi to postpone elections for the posts of Mayor, Deputy Mayor and members of various Standing Committees in civic bodies of Kalaburagi and Ballari as ‘murder of democracy’.
N.V. Prasad, Regional Commissioner (Kalaburagi division), had on November 16 postponed the elections, which were scheduled for November 18 and November 20, respectively, stating that the Kalaburagi and Ballari district administrations were busy in elections to the Legislative Council.
“I have spoken to senior functionaries in Election Commission of India who clearly stated that the mayoral polls were not in conflict with polls to the Legislative Council. They also clarified that neither the Election Commission of India had directed postponement of the mayoral polls nor did any Returning Officer seek any clarification or direction on the issue. Neither the Kalaburagi district administration nor the Ballari district administration has expressed difficulty in holding mayoral elections during the ongoing process of polls to the Legislative Council. Yet, the Regional Commissioner of Kalaburagi postponed the mayoral polls on the pretext of polls to the Legislative Council. It is very much clear that he is acting as a puppet of the ruling party, which wants to buy time to plot a path to gain control of these civic bodies,” Mr. Patil told mediapersons at the Congress office in Kalaburagi on November 17.
Terming the Regional Commissioner’s decision to postpone the mayoral elections as an afterthought, Mr. Patil said that the decision was taken only after Congress moved a court against the ‘illegal and unethical’ bid by the BJP to take control of the Kalaburagi civic body.
“BJP is making all efforts to capture power in these civic bodies even though it does not have a majority. In Kalaburagi, it is trying to include seven of its MLCs [Members of Legislative Council] in the electoral rolls of Gulbarga South Assembly constituency to make them eligible to vote in the mayoral polls. The Congress has moved court against the BJP’s bid to grab power by illegal means. In Ballari, the ruling party is trying to prevent the Congress, which has clear majority, from taking control of the civic body. The postponement is a clear move by the ruling party to buy time and plot a path to capture power in these civic bodies,” Mr. Patil alleged.
He claimed that the Regional Commissioner’s decision was a violation of constitutional provisions on elections to rural and urban local bodies.
“As per the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments passed by Parliament in December 1992, elections to the posts of mayor and deputy mayor should be conducted within six months of completion of elections to the city corporation. Elections to Ballari City Corporation took place more than six months ago, and the mayoral elections should be conducted immediately. But, the Regional Commissioner postponed the elections scheduled for November 18. This is a clear violation of the Constitution,” he alleged.
Mr. Patil added that the Congress would move court against the decision of Regional Commissioner N. V. Prasad, whom he accused of sacrificing the ethics expected of Indian Administrative Services officers to satisfy the ruling dispensation by acting as per its whims and fancies.
