Leaders of the Janata Dal (Secular), here on Monday, held a dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office, protesting the delay in holding elections to the posts of president and vice-president of Konanuru Gram Panchayat in Arkalgud taluk.
The protesters have demanded the dismissal of Arkalgud tahsildar Prasannamurthy, Assistant Executive Engineer Shivakumar, who was designated returning officer, and Ms. Lobo, a caseworker in the taluk office, for not holding the elections. The protesters, led by A.T. Ramaswamy, the former MLA, alleged that the officers delayed the elections as per instructions from A. Manju, Minister in-charge of Hassan district.
Hassan Deputy Commissioner V. Chaitra, in her letter dated September 15, had directed the tahsildar to hold the elections for the posts as the tenure of the current office-bearers was scheduled to end on November 8. As per the norms of the Panchayat Raj Act, 1993, the elections to the posts should be held before the term of the incumbent representatives ended.
Mr. Ramaswamy, in his memorandum, addressed to the Chief Secretary, said the Sections 44 and 45 of the Panchayat Raj Act and Section 134 of the Representation of People’s Act had been violated. “Though there was a direction to fix a date and hold the elections, the officers concerned delayed the proceedings owing to pressure from the district in-charge Minister. The officers concerned should be suspended and dismissed for dereliction of duty,” he said.
JD(S) national president and the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda also participated in the dharna. The former minister H.D. Revanna, Hassan Zilla Panchayat vice-president H.P. Srinivas, Hassan District Central Cooperative Bank president Honnavalli Satish and others were present.
