Mangalore: Mayor's post to be reserved for general category, says HC
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Feb 24: The high court on Monday February 24 ruled that the post of mayor in Mangalore will be reserved for general category, as against the earlier government notification that had reserved it for women from general category.
The mayoral elections in Mangalore were scheduled to be held on September 12, 2013, but were postponed indefinetely after JD(S) corporator Abdul Aziz Kudroli challenged the notification in the high court, contending that the mayor's post had been reserved for women candidates for the fourth time in six years. In September first week, just before the election was to be held, the high court ordered a stay on the notification.
In January, the high court annulled the reservation for women candidates and called for a fresh criteria for the post.
Aziz speaking to daijiworld on the verdict said, "I am happy that I won the fight and managed to rectify the government's mistake." He said he had challenged the notification only to point out the mistake in the roster system of the government, and clarified that he was not against women.
"As soon as the government issued the notification reserving the mayoral post for women, I filed a suit in the high court to correct the folly of the government," he added
The new order was passed by a two-member bench of the high court. Aziz also said that government is likely to follow the order without moving the Apex court.
The election for the urban local body was held in March 2013, but the announcement of the reservation of the post of mayor came nearly six months later. The election in Mangalore was won by the Congress, but in the absence of a mayor, the responsibility of running the administration has been shouldered by the deputy commissioner and the officials of the city corporation for the last one year.