HC stays Mysuru Mayoral poll in the wake of COVID curbs

For now, Mayor’s post turns ‘many a slip between the cup and the lip’ for Congress

Mysore/Mysuru: The High Court of Karnataka last evening stayed the election scheduled to be held on June 11 to the post of Mysuru Mayor as restrictions imposed to check the spread of COVID-19 are in place. The election has been put off till June 21. 

The election was scheduled to be held today after Rukmini Madegowda was disqualified as a member of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC).

Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum passed the order on a petition filed by Pradeep Chandra, a Congress Corporator of the MCC. The Court, however, said authorities can decide on holding the election after lifting of guidelines issued under the Disaster Management Act. 

The lawyer for the petitioner, L.M. Chidanandaya told the court that COVID-19 infection is high in Mysuru and if the election is held in such a situation, people are more likely to come together. He said that it was dangerous and asked the High Court to postpone the election.

The High Court said that in the present situation, it is not right to hold elections and the elections not be held till June 21, keeping in mind the pandemic situation. Pradeep had contended that the election process would result in gathering of Councillors and others in violation of the guidelines. 

The JD(S) and Congress had agreed to tie up to ensure the BJP stays out of power in the Corporation, similar to the alliance it had formed after the last elections held in February. With the development in the High Court, the Mayoral post has slipped out of Congress for now. 

Unlike the events that occurred during the last Mayoral election, the JD(S) had readily offered the Mayor’s post to the Congress, ending all speculations. Even as the Congress was zeroing-in on the suitable candidate, the High Court order came as a rude shock. 

Interestingly, it is the Congress Corporator who went to the Court seeking postponement of the elections and this has come as a double whammy for Congress. Realising that the party had no chance of cobbling up an alliance to bag the Mayor’s post, the BJP sat quiet this time unlike the last time where it desperately tried till the last moment to grab the coveted post. This time, the party limited itself to issue a whip to its members.