Mangaluru Mayor Shetty rejects Congress candidature for Opposition leader

In an unprecedented move, a proposal to appoint the Leader of Opposition in Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) council was rejected by Mayor Premanand Shetty on Wednesday.

Angered by the Mayor's move, Congress corporators walked out of the hall during the first council meeting convened by Premanand.

The Mayor rejected the proposal to nominate A C Vinayaraj as opposition leader of the council citing legal hurdles. In fact, DCC President and MLC Harish Kumar had written a letter on March 22 to the MCC commissioner to accept the name of A C Vinayraj as Opposition leader of the council.

Accordingly, the commissioner had forwarded the proposal to the Mayor. The council secretary too had made a few observations on the rules related to the KMC Act and nominating of the Opposition leader. The Mayor in turn had sought legal opinion on the issue. According to legal experts, Congress lacks a one-third majority in the council and thus the post of opposition leader cannot be given to the party.

The tradition of informing the Mayor of the Opposition leader which was practised since the beginning was also violated by the Congress, said Chief Whip in the Council Sudhir Shetty.

Sudhir said that Mayor is supreme in the Council. The Congress can not stake claim to the post of leader of opposition in the council till it has one-third majority. He even accused Vinayraj of occupying the chair of opposition leader in the chamber allotted, without bringing it to the notice of the Mayor.

Earlier, raising the issue of opposition leader in the council, Congress corporator Abdul Rauf who had served as Opposition Leader in the Council, said, "Ruling party and opposition work in coordination by taking the opposition into confidence."

Former mayor and senior corporator from Congress Shashidhar Hegde admitted that there was a mistake on the part of Congress.

The Mayor should make a decision based on the rules. It is left to the discretion of the Mayor to take a call and appealed to accept the candidature of Vinayraj as opposition leader.

Vinayraj clarified that he had informed the commissioner, officials and the Mayor before assuming charge. "The character assassination should be condemned," he said. Quoting Section 65 of the KMC Act, he said all communications should be made to the commissioner.

Premanand said that the confusion created by violating the tradition has put the Mayor into dilemma. A suitable decision on the opposition leader will be taken shortly after seeking legal opinion, he added.