The last hopes of holding elections to the zilla panchayats in the five districts of Kalaburagi, Raichur, Yadgir, Bidar and Vijayapura were dashed after the State Election Commission failed to get the stay order vacated in the High Court of Karnataka here on Tuesday.
Justice Ram Mohan Reddy, who heard the petition filed by the State Election Commission seeking vacation of the stay order of the court challenging the fixing of categories for reservation in some zilla panchayat constituencies in the five districts, said that he required more time to go through the provisions of the relevant law and the objections raised by the petitioners challenging the fixing of reservation for different constituencies and posted the case for further hearing on Febuary 2. Senior advocate Phaneendra, who represented the State Election Commission, in his brief plea referred to the dismissal of similar petitions filed before the High Court of Karnataka in Bengaluru and sought vacation of the stay given by the High Court here.
Without referring to the order passed by the High Courtin Bengaluru, Mr. Reddy said that “there was no urgent need” to decide the petition filed by the State Election Commission. The judge said that he had passed several orders on zilla panchayats and the petitions required more time to be read and decided.
As many as 15 petitions have been filed from the five districts challenging the reservation categories fixed by the Election Commission. The High Court of Karnataka here had stayed the fixing of categories for reservation in the zilla panchayat constituencies in Kalaburagi, Vijayapura and Bidar on January 7 and a similar stay order was given for Raichur district on January 8.
The court, admitting a petition filed by Sharanagowda Kandakur challenging the reservation categories for Putpak, Kandakur and Konkal, had issued stay orders on January 18.
Judge seeks more time to go through provisions of the act thoroughly
Further hearing of the case posted to February 2
Fifteen petitions have been filed from five districts challenging reservation categories
