Council fails to resolve row over Opposition Leader; Issue now before legal experts

Mysore/Mysuru: The MCC Council meeting,  which took place this morning, failed to solve the row over who should be the Opposition Leader as BJP — which was in the Opposition all these days — is now governing the civic body with the election of party’s Sunanda Palanetra as the Mayor. This was the first Council meeting held after Sunanda Palanetra became the Mayor on Aug. 25.

During the course of the meeting, Ayub Khan of Congress, also former Mayor, wanted to know who the Opposition Leader was as the Congress-JD(S) alliance which ruled the MCC in the current tenure, had collapsed and the BJP had come to power. Soon, JD(S) Corporators led by S.B.M. Manju intervened and sought the resignation of  Anwar Baig of the Congress, who was elected as the Deputy Mayor in the previous coalition. 

As a verbal duel broke out, the Council Secretary, who referred to the MCC by-laws, said that there were certain procedures to be followed in the election of the Opposition Leader and the issue can be taken up at the next meeting. MCC Commissioner G. Lakshmikantha Reddy said that the matter will be resolved after seeking legal opinion.

But Manju insisted that Ashwini Ananthu become the Opposition Leader as the JD(S) had the biggest numerical strength after the ruling BJP. However, the matter could not be resolved as Congress and JD(S) members continued with their arguments and counter-arguments.

Earlier, at the start of the meeting, Pallavi Begum of BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) raised the issue of land allotment to betel leaf growers of Yelethota near Chamundipuram. 

She urged the MCC to make an announcement on the issuance of title deeds to 46 betel leaf growers who were promised 5 guntas of land each as compensation. 

But the Council, saying that the Finance Committee was yet to approve the MCC’s proposal, refused to make any announcement which riled Pallavi Begum. 

After a heated debate with Pallavi continuing to insist on her demand amid the din, the Council agreed to take up the issue at the next meeting.

Shobha Sunil of Congress took the ruling party to task for allowing large-scale celebrations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday in violation of Government’s COVID-19 SOPs while the same MCC had imposed restrictions on Ganeshotsava. 

The meeting was cut short in the afternoon as the Mayor and the Commissioner had to leave for Delhi to attend a Swachh Bharat Mission meet tomorrow.