Sumangla Gubaji, a BJP member but supporter of BSR Congress, was dethroned as president of the Bellary Zilla Panchayat on Wednesday after a no-confidence motion, moved by the Congress, was passed.
This comes as a severe blow to the BSR Congress, launched by B. Sriramulu, a close associate of jailed mining baron G. Janardhan Reddy.
The no-confidence motion was put to vote at the special general body meeting convened here with Mamta Suresh, vice-president of the ZP, in the chair.
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As many as 18 members, with 16 from the Congress and one each from BJP and Janata Dal (S), voted in favour of the no-confidence motion while 17 members from the BJP, but supporting BSR Congress, voted against it.
Kogali Rathnamma of the BJP, supporting the no-confidence motion, violating the party whip, gave the Congress the needed simple majority.
In the total 36-member house, 35 members were present with one seat lying vacant with the resignation tendered by Bheema Nayak on becoming MLA.
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What came as surprise was that five Congress members, who had supported the candidature of Sumangla, violating the whip issued by the party, were signatories to the no-confidence motion and also supported it.