JOIN USAll eyes on Hassan ZP presidential election today
With politicking at its peak to hold the reins of Zilla Panchayat here, all eyes are now on the election to be held on Monday, to elect the president and vice-president.
Janata Dal (Secular) members, who had kept away during the previous election day on May 5, only to create a lack of quorum, are most likely to repeat their act.
With the president’s post reserved for ST woman, it had come as a disappointment for the regional party, which was all eager to elect Bhavani Revanna, wife of Holenarasipura MLA and an influential politician in the region H D Revanna, for the coveted post.
The reservation came as a huge disappointment as Bhavani belongs to general category. As a result, JD(S) that has absolute majority with 23 members against total 40 members at ZP, boycotted the poll. However, the post for ZP vice-president is reserved for general woman.
While Shwetha Devaraj from Congress had filed her nomination for president post earlier, Vatsala Shekharappa, Lokesh and Latha Manjesh have also filed nominations from JD(S). But, with all the 23 JD(S) members boycotting the polls, the regional commissioner A M Kunjappa had to postpone the elections to a future date, that was later announced as May 16.
The total strength of ZP is 40. Out of this, there are 23 JD(S) members, 16 Congress and one BJP. If the polls have to be conducted there should at least be 50 per cent strength to fulfil the quorum.
Rift in Cong?
Meanwhile, factionalism has creeped into the district unit of the Congress party. A few leaders, who held a meeting at party leader Hemmige Mohan’s house recently expressed their unhappiness over the working style of Animal Husbandry and District In-charge Minister A Manju.