Meeting to move no confidence motion against ZP vice-president

A meeting has been fixed to move no confidence motion against Zilla Panchayat (ZP) vice-president Nirmala P Muniraju.

The no confidence motion has been planned for the first time in the history of the ZP. The present term of the ZP will expire in 10 months.

Of the 28 seats in the ZP, the Congress has 21 seats, the JD(S) five and the BJP and the CPM one each. Due to factionalism, three members had to step down as presidents in the ruling Congress party.

After the Congress came to power in 2016, the state leaders distributed the power in two periods for the posts of president and vice-president, according to sources in the party.

The post of ZP vice-president was reserved for BCM (Woman). P Nirmala, representing Jangamakote constituency in Shidlaghatta and Saraswatamma Ashwathnarayana Gowda from Tondebhavi constituency in Gauribidanur taluk were chosen for the post for two-year term each. Accordingly, Nirmala Muniraju became the vice-president.

P N Keshav Reddy took over as the president in 2016. In 2018, about 14 members from the party threatened to resign forcing Reddy to step down. H V Manjunath from Hosur constituency took over on March 7, 2018.

The party had to face consequences of differences of opinion between two Congress leaders in the district during the Coalition government in 2018 Dr K Sudhakar and H N Shivashankar Reddy.

The Congress party directed H V Manjunath and Nirmala Muniraju to step as per the agreement before the Lok Sabha elections. The two leaders resigned on June 26, 2018.

The last date for the acceptance of resignations was July 11, 2019. Since Dr K Sudhakar was planning to resign from the party and join the BJP, the party leaders directed Manjunath and Nirmala Muniraju to withdraw their resignations and continue in the same positions which they obliged.

The party had planned to make Sudhakar’s supporter P N Prakash from Manchenahalli constituency as the ZP president. Accordingly, Manjunath resigned for the second time on September 23, 2019.

Since there was focus on the byelection to Chikkaballapur Assembly constituency, the issue of the post of vice-president was ignored.

Bagepalli Kasaba constituency member M B Chikkanarasimhaiah defeated Prakash in the election to the post of president on October 23, 2019 and became president.

“Nirmala P Muniraju was asked to rule for two years. As per the agreement, she should have step down ceremoniously. However, she continued to hold the power for four years. It is an insult to face no confidence motion and get rejected in public life,” H V Manjunath said.

Nirmala Muniraju rejected the claims of distribution of power.

“The party leaders never distributed the power. If it was so why did the members remain silent for four years? Members and MLAs used me to meet their agenda due to factionalism,” she charged.

She said that she had resigned in the past and withdrew her resignation due to the instructions from the state leaders. The leaders had assured that continue her in the same position.

“These people are changing their colours now. I am on the path of justice,” she said.

“Nirmala Muniraju has been requested to step down on humanitarian grounds to pave way for Saraswatamma. However, she is adamant,” Chikkanarasimhaiah said.