Mysore/Mysuru: A week after the Karnataka High Court annulled the election of Mysuru Mayor Rukmini Madegowda as an MCC Corporator, the city is going for a fresh Mayoral polls on June 11.

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, MCC Commissioner Shilpa Nag said that the MCC received a copy of the Karnataka High Court order yesterday terminating the election of Rukmini Madegowda of the JD(S) from Ward 36 (Yaraganahalli & Ambedkar Colony) in the 2018 MCC polls. 

The Court’s order was discussed in detail with Regional Commissioner of Mysuru Revenue Division G.C. Prakash this morning and the new election date is fixed for June 11. 

Asserting that the new Mayor’s  election will be held on June 11 with all COVID SOPs in place even though the stringent  COVID-induced lockdown in force in the State extends beyond June 7, Shilpa Nag said that currently the Deputy Mayor is in-charge of Mayor’s Office. 

Clarifying that the reservation for Mayoral polls (General category woman) will remain the same, the Commissioner reiterated that the polls will be held in accordance with the protocol.

Corporator Rukmini Madegowda was elected as Mayor on Feb. 24, 2021. The JD(S), which is currently ruling the MCC in      coalition with Congress, had taken a big gamble by fielding Rukmini as its Mayoral candidate, despite the fact that an election plea was pending against her in the High Court.

With Rukmini’s disqualification as Corporator, the strength of the 65 member MCC Council has come down to 64.

Meanwhile, soon as the date for a fresh Mayoral election was announced, political activities have resumed in the three major political parties — BJP, Congress and JD(S). The name of senior-most member in the MCC Council Sunanda Palanetra (BJP), who lost out in the race for Mayor polls held in Feb. this year, has again come to the limelight for the Mayor Office, with BJP hoping to strike a deal with the JD(S) this time round.

The JD(S) had maintained suspense over its partner till the very end of the last Mayoral polls held on Feb. 24, 2021 and in the last minute, joined hands with the Congress, with which it is ruling the MCC, to win the Mayoral polls. The JD(S) had struck a deal with the Congress by giving away the Deputy Mayor’s office to the Congress.

Details

Rukmini Madegowda was elected on a JD(S) ticket from MCC Ward 36 in the 2018 polls, defeating her opponent Rajani Annaiah of the Congress. Following her defeat, Rajani filed a petition in the Mysuru District Court seeking disqualification of Rukmini on the grounds of incorrect  declaration of assets during the filing of nomination papers. Rajani had also prayed the Court to declare her as the winner from the Ward.

The Mysuru Principal District and Sessions Court, which heard Rajani’s plea on Dec. 14, 2020, annulled Rukmini’s election as Corporator and also ruled that the petitioner (Rajani Annaiah) be declared the winner. But Rukmini went on an appeal in the High Court (HC) seeking quashing of the Mysuru District Court’s order.

A Single Judge Bench of the HC which took up Rukmini’s plea on May 26, 2021 upheld the District Court’s order annulling the election of Rukmini from MCC Ward 36. But at the same time, the HC refused to declare  Rajani of the Congress as the winner from the Ward and ordered a fresh election to the Ward.