JOIN USCongress corporators picketed newly elected Mayor B L Bhyrappa, at his chamber, in the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), here, on Friday, for postponing the elections to the standing committees. The election for the post of chairman for Taxation, Finance and Appeals and Health committees were scheduled for Friday, from 9 am.
As scheduled, the process for Taxation, Finance and Appeals Standing Committee election was started on time. But, only two Congress corporators and a SDPI member turned up at the venue, the Council Hall. The Mayor, who waited for more than 30 minutes, owing to shortage of quorum, postponed the election to Monday.
Later, when the Mayor proceeded to conduct the election to the Health Standing Committee, Congress corporators, objecting the move of postponing the Taxation, Finance and Appeals Standing Committee election, urged him to conduct the elections.
Despite repeated requests by the Mayor, the corporators did not allow him to conduct the Health committee elections and hence, he postponed elections to all the four committees, to Monday.
The annoyed corporators resorted to violence and tried to manhandle the mayor and raised slogans against him, when he tried to leave the hall.
Agitated, the Congress corporators locked the main entrance of the Mayor’s chamber when Bhyrappa entered it. However, the MCC staff members managed to open the lock. But, the corporators, staged a dharna in front of the chamber till late in the night.
Police entry
A few agitating corporators, along with their supporters, during noon hours, brought a LPG cylinder and a stove to prepare tea in front of the Mayor’s chamber. However, MCC Commissioner C G Betsurmath, with the help of police personnel, vacated the supporters from the MCC premises and cleared the stove and cooking vessels. Later, the agitators had lunch, food catered from a nearby hotel, there itself.
Talks fail
Senior corporator H N Srikantaiah (independent) made several attempts to pacify the agitators. But, the agitating corporators demanded the Mayor’s apology. Even the Mayor was reluctant to apologise to the agitators, claiming that he has not committed anything wrong.
“If I am at fault, let them move the court or file a case with the higher authorities. But, they (agitators) have committed a mistake by physically stopping me from leaving the Council Hall,” alleged Bhyrappa.
Talks
Finally, Purushotham, Congress corporator, who also has a good rapport with Bhyrappa, convinced the Mayor to hold talks with the agitating corporators. But, due to a misunderstanding over who will enter the Council Hall first, the process was delayed. The Mayor asked the corporators to enter the hall first, claiming that the Mayor presides over the Council. But, the corporators wanted the Mayor to enter first. Later, the Mayor was convinced and went to the hall first, but the corporators did not reciprocate because while entering the hall, he did not invite them. After waiting for 10 minutes, the Mayor left the hall and went to his house.
Meanwhile, the agitators raised slogans such as ‘Hitler Mayor’ and sat in a dharna till late in the night.