The newly-elected Mayor of Mysuru city, B.L. Bhyrappa came under fire from Opposition Congress for putting off the elections to the posts of chairpersons of four Standing Committees of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) citing lack of quorum.
The election was scheduled at 9 a.m. on Friday and the Mayor put off the poll as quorum was inadequate.
Taking strong exception to this decision, who was presiding over the election proceedings, Congress councillors staged a dharna outside his chamber.
Demanding that the elections be held at any cost, the protesting councillors mobbed the Mayor when he was entering his chamber. However, Mr. Bhyrappa was firm on his decision and refused to budge.
A coffee party
The Congress councillors later brought a stove and LPG cylinder and started preparing coffee in front of the Mayor’s chamber to vent their ire against his decision.
The former Mayor Ayub Khan, councillor Suneel Kumar and all Congress councillors joined the dharna. The JD(S)-BJP coalition is in power in the 65-member MCC.
A Congress councillor told The Hindu that some Independent councillors also joined the dharna and condemned the Mayor’s decision.
“Citing lack of quorum, the Mayor put off the elections though the members of the committees were present. Since some members from the JD(S) and BJP were absent, the Mayor put off the elections,” he alleged. Criticising what he called the Congress councillors’ improper behaviour, Mr. Bhyrappa refused to meet the protesters and persuade them to call off their agitation.
He remained in his chamber with JD(S) and BJP councillors.
Poll on Monday
He told The Hindu on Friday that the elections would now be held on Monday at 9 a.m. He said the elections could not be held as per the law when there is lack of quorum. “If there were four members from the committee, I would have held the elections irrespective of the party affiliations,” he told The Hindu .
On learning about the protest, the K.R. Police reached the spot and tried to persuade the protesters to call off the protest. However, they returned after they refused to budge.
