ZP Standing Committee election on July 1

Cong-BJP busy chalking out strategies

It is said that Congress members had first decided to boycott the special meeting called by Rajarao especially because Rajarao identified himself with BJP after being elected as Social Justice Standing Committee President from Congress but have later decided to take part in it as Congress has majority of members in ZP.

Further, it is also said that the Congress members realised the possibilities of members getting unanimously elected to the Standing Committee in case they boycott the meeting. Instead of going to the Court to challenge the election, the Congress members are said have been preparing themselves to face the elections. The election will be held for General, Finance, Social Justice, Agriculture and Industry, Health and Education Standing Committees and seven members will be elected to each of the committee. One among the seven will be elected as the President.

Some had questioned the reservation for the post of President and Vice-President at the High Court after the completion of term of Dheergakeshi Shivanna and Rajamma Rudraiah as President and Vice-President respectively. High Court after accepting the petition, has ordered the State Government to cancel ZP Presidential and Vice-Presidential election in all ZPs except Kolar and Chikballapur, where the elections have already been completed. Accordingly Regional Commissioner Jayanthi had issued an order to cancel elections in all ZPs till High Court takes a decision on the case. According to the Panchayat Raj Act, Incharge President can continue in the post till the new ZP President is elected. In this way, for Rajarao, it was a easy way to the post of President.
But since Rajarao’s tenure as Social Justice Standing Committee President ends on July 6, he will have to invariably step down from the post.

Kodagu Zilla Panchayat has 29 members of which 15 are Congress members, 10 are BJP and 3 are JD(S). ZP has one independent member.  Meanwhile, sources say that Congress members A Lokesh Kumar and Abdul Latheef are vying for the post of the President along with K M Balakrishna of Congress while BJP is still tight lipped about the elections.