The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday refused to interfere with the delimitation of wards in Mysuru and Tumakuru city corporations, and the reservation of wards in Shivamogga and Mysuru corporations and thus cleared the way for the State Election Commission (SEC) to hold elections to these urban local bodies.
Justice B. Veerappa passed the order while dismissing two batches of writ petitions. One related to the delimitation of wards in Mysuru and Tumakuru corporations and the other challenged the reservation of certain wards to some categories of castes in Shivamogga and Tumakuru districts.
While dismissing petitions regarding ward delimitation, the Court held that the petitioners have not made out a case to interfere with the impugned delimitation notifications as they approached the court at the last minute and the elections have to be completed on or before September 5, 2018 as per the Constitutional mandate.
The Court also did not find fault in adhering to the guidelines issued for the delimitation process.
On petitions about the reservation of wards, the Court said that petitioners have not made out any prima facie case to interfere at this stage while also noticing that calendar of events are issued and elections are already set in motion.
Frame rules
However, the Court noticed that successive governments in the State failed to frame rules for reservation of seats.
“This Court ardently hopes and trusts that the State government will take necessary steps to frame appropriate rules for reservation of seats in respect of election of local bodies/Municipalities/Corporations, etc., in accordance with the Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1976 as well as the constitutional mandate under Article 243 T of the Constitution of India at the earliest in the interest of general public at large,” the Court added.
