The Hindu 11.01.2011
CMC meeting ends sans result
Election Officer nomination papers are unavailable; notification to be issued
Misuse of power: Opposition councillors in the Madikeri CMC protesting
against the announcement by the Election Officer on the election of the
president and the vice-president in Madikeri on Monday even as M.C.
Nanaiah, A.H. Vishwanath and T. John look on.
The Madikeri City Municipal Council (CMC) meeting to elect the president
and vice-president for the second term ended here on Monday without a
result even as the Election Officer, A.C. Ravi, declared that election
could not be held since nomination papers were not available and a fresh
notification would be issued to complete the process.
Nomination papers were torn off by the BJP councillors
at the December 22 meeting. Mr. Ravi said he had to resume the
proceedings from where he had stopped earlier and the process could not
be held without nomination papers. Enraged at this, the Congress, the
Janata Dal (Secular) and independent members who had formed a group,
shouted slogans against the Election Officer accusing him of playing
into the hands of the BJP.
They were 17 in number and included nine councillors
from the Congress, two from the JD (S), two independents, Mysore MP A.H.
Vishwanath, and MLCs M.C. Nanaiah and T. John. There were 15 BJP
councillors, including B.R. Pratibha, who had gone over to the
Congress-JD(S) camp in the previous meeting, apart from the Madikeri MLA
M.P. Appachu Ranjan, who arrived later, to make it 16. Two BJP women
councillors, Lata Bangera and P.R. Manjula, were absent. The BJP accused
the Congress and the JD (S) camp of “kidnapping” the two women
councillors belonging to their party.
A beaming BJP councillors and the MLA left the meeting
hall within minutes of the announcement by Mr. Ravi that a fresh
notification would be issued. Congress councillors H.M. Nanda Kumar,
front-runner for the president’s post, T.M. Aiyappa, Abdul Razak, A.C.
Devaiah and independent member Muneer Ahmad started shouting slogans
against Mr. Ravi over the issue.
Mr. Nanaiah, expressing his displeasure over what
happened, said he had expected a “result.” He accused Mr. Ravi of
misleading him. He blamed Mr. Vishwanath and Mr. John over the
nomination paper issue when they met him on December 22.
Mr. Ravi had stated that nomination papers were safe,
Mr. Nanaiah said. He expressed surprise on how there had been
backtracking on the part of the Election officer, who now said that the
nomination papers were torn in the melee. Mr. Ravi said he was
proceeding as per the rules and he had recorded the tearing of the
nomination papers at the December 22 meeting proceedings.
Mr. Nanaiah said that Mr. Ravi should have announced a
fresh calendar for election immediately after the incidents on December
22.
Mr. Vishwanath alleged that sanctity of the election
process had been “destroyed” by the BJP Government in the State. The
policemen were present in the city and prohibitory orders were in force.
The BJP had misused its powers and this was inexcusable, Mr. Vishwanath
said. T. John, MLC, said that all democratic norms had been thrown to
the winds by the BJP Government to have its say in the CMC affairs.
Officials were dancing to the tunes of the State Government which was
unfortunate, Mr. John said.
Superintendent of Police, Manjunath Annigeri, supervised the security arrangements.
