Mayor of Mysuru Rukmini Made Gowda, whose election to the post in February this year had sparked off a political turmoil, has now landed in a legal quandary over disclosure of assets while filing her nomination papers for the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) polls in 2018.
With her continuation as the Mayor coming under a cloud after the High Court annulled her election as JD(S) corporator of Ward number 36, Ms. Rukmini Made Gowda is planning to move the Supreme Court questioning the ruling.
Her Congress rival Rajani had filed a petition in a local court questioning the sanctity of her election in view of the false affidavit relating to her assets. The District and Sessions Court had ruled against Ms. Rukmini Made Gowda and ordered that Ms. Rajani, who had polled the second highest votes, be declared winner.
But, Ms. Rukmini Made Gowda moved the High Court which in a recent order not only annulled Ms. Rukmini Made Gowda’s election, but also refused to declare her opponent Rajani as the winner and ordered fresh elections.
Ms .Rukmini Made Gowda told reporters in Mysuru on Thursday that she was awaiting a copy of the High Court directions so that an appeal can be made in the Supreme Court.
Her one-year term as Mayor has come under a cloud barely three months after her election on February 24 with the support of Congress that not only triggered a fresh round of political bickering between JD(S) and Congress, but also sparked a row within the Congress with former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah taking serious exception to the truck with JD(S) in the MCC.
The differences in the Congress led to a notice being served on former Minister Tanveer Sait for tying up with the JD(S) and the suspension of a few of his supporters for allegedly shouting slogans against Mr. Siddaramaiah. Mr Sait said he took a decision to join hands with JD(S) to keep the BJP out, but the Congress bosses had served a notice and summoned him to Bengaluru for a detailed explanation.
