Deputy Commissioner Ramprasath Manohar, who is also District Election Officer, has disqualified nine Congress members, including sitting president of the Kottur Town Panchayat, for defying the party whip in the election to the post of panchayat president and vice-president held in May 2016.
An order, under section 4 (2) (iii) of Karnataka Local Bodies Authority 1987 (Defection) was passed on Saturday after holding a detailed hearing on the complaint lodged by District Congress president B.V. Shivayogi.
Whip
Mr. Shivayogi had issued the whip to party members to vote in favour of Karadi Kotrayya and Halamma for the post of panchayat president and vice-president. During the election, Anilkumar, along with eight party members, defied the whip and became panchayat president with the support of BJP and independents, while giving an assurance to the BJP that it could have the post of vice-president.
There are, in all, 20 members of which the Congress’s strength is 14. There are two BJP members and four independents.
Please Email the Editor