UDUPI: The BJP and Congress shared power in the newly formed Kaup taluk panchayat. In the results of the election announced on Tuesday, Shashiprabha Shetty of the BJP was declared elected president and U C Shekabba Uchila of Congress, as vice-president. Although the election was held on August 10, a subsequent move by the Congress to legally question the process, meant that the result was formally announced on the day.
While Shashiprabha was elected unopposed after the nomination of Renuka Puthran of the Congress was rejected, Shekabba defeated the challenge from Keshava Moily of the BJP by two votes. Congress has seven members in the 12 member panchayat raj body, and the BJP makes up for the rest. The high court in its order dated October 20, had directed Kundapur assistant commissioner Raju K to declare the results on November 3.
Carved out of Udupi taluk panchayat, the Congress enjoyed the above mentioned numerical superiority in the 12-member panchayat raj body. The post of president was reserved for a candidates from the BCM B category and that of vice-president for a general candidate. Accordingly, the election of Shashiprabha as the maiden president of the body was a foregone conclusion, in that she was the lone candidate from the above category in the body.
Lalaji R Mendon, Kaup MLA, told TOI that the reservation for the post of president was set aside for BCM B woman. The Congress wanted this to be changed to BCM A woman, as it did not have a candidate from the earlier reserved category. Congress fielded its candidate on the basis of a notice by the assistant commissioner, that BCM A woman candidate could be fielded if a party did not have a BCM B candidate. There is no such scope for ambiguity, Mendon said.