The notification of reservation for the posts of presidents and vice presidents in urban local bodies has left the JD(S) in Hassan agitated. Despite winning the highest number of seats in Hassan City Municipal Council and Arsikere CMC, it cannot hold power in either of the bodies.
The posts of presidents in both ULBs have been reserved for Scheduled Tribes and the only party that has members to suit the reserved category is the BJP. As a result, the BJP will assume power in Hassan CMC and Arsikere CMC.
In the elections held in September 2018 for the 35 wards of Hassan CMC, the JD(S) won 17 sets, the BJP won 13, the Congress two and Independents won three. The JD(S) was confident of holding power with the support of Independents. In Arsikere, of the 31 seats, JD(S) won 22, BJP won five, Congress won one, and Independents won three seats. The JD(S) was sure of holding power there too. However, the reservation notified by the government keeps the party out of power.
Former Minister and JD(S) leader H.D. Revanna, at a press conference in Hassan on Friday, said both the national parties were afraid of the JD(S). They had been engaged in all forms of tricks to keep the JD(S) away from power. “The post of Harihar CMC president was initially reserved for the ST. However, it was changed overnight. The courts should take note of this injustice. The BJP is doing what the Congress did in the past,” he alleged.
Mr. Revanna said the party would fight the issue legally. During the last ZP elections, when the Congress was in power, the post of Hassan ZP president was reserved for the Scheduled Tribe, to accommodate a Congress member, while the JD(S) had won more seats.
Earlier in the day Arsikere MLA K.M. Shivalinge Gowda of the JD(S) also held a press conference to criticise the BJP government on this issue. He termed it murder of democracy.
“The State government had made a mistake. Chief Minister Yediyurappa has fallen under the influence of vested interests,” he said.
In a democracy, the party should have a majority to come to power.
But, the government’s notification had allowed the party with fewer seats to take over to the urban local body, he said and added that he would fight the case in court.