Mysore, Mar. 4(KK&DM)-The Karnataka High Court has stayed the polls to the election of the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor of Mysore City.

Chief Minister's Parliamentary Secretary and MLA S.A. Ramdas informed Star of Mysore that Justice Ram Mohan Reddy of the Karnataka High Court had stayed the polls till such time the petition filed by BJP local leaders Umesh and Murali seeking the disqualification of the 7 JD(S) Corporators under the Anti-defection Law was heard and the matter settled.

It may be recalled that the 7 JD(S) Corporators had defected to the BJP and then later returned to the JD(S).

The Court, after issuing the stay orders till the petition is disposed off, has served a notice to all the 7 Corporators who have been named in the petition.

Meanwhile, the State Legal Commission and the Urbanisation Commission have not yet given any ruling on the petition filed by the BJP leaders.

The confusion has risen as the long-awaited Urban Development Draft Policy-2009 was implemented. Under this policy, the setting up of a State Urbanisation Commission, replacing the State Town Planning Board, Metropolitan Planning Committee for Bangalore, Hubli-Dharwad and Mysore, reorganising urban local body structure and introducing new Mayoral system (directly elected Mayor or Mayor-in-Council), abolishing Urban Development Authorities, vesting planning powers in urban local bodies which are some of the features of the draft, have put the officials in a quandary as the interpretation of the policy in the wake of the petition is fraught with complications.

It is learnt that though earlier the Divisional Commissioner (DVC) had the power to take a decision in cases relating to Anti-Defection, but now after the office of the DVC was abolished and Regional Commissioner appointed, the power to decide Anti-Defection cases has not given to the Regional Commissioner. Hence, the present imbroglio.

Courtesy : Star Of Mysore