Elected members of Hongadahalla gram panchayat in Sakleshpur taluk of Hassan district skipped the election meeting scheduled for Friday, February 9, allegedly because a woman from the Scheduled Caste was all set to become the president.
Vanajakshi, the member who filed the nomination papers for the president’s post, was in tears as the election meeting was adjourned due to the lack of quorum. She expressed her anguish before the media, saying that she was shocked by the responses of other members of the gram panchayat.
“I always cooperated in the panchayat’s work when other members were president and vice president. I did not expect this from them. Today, I should have been declared president. But, because I am a SC woman, they did not attend the meeting,” she said.
Adithya, a PDO who was appointed returning officer, had scheduled the election for president and vice president on Friday. The president’s post was reserved for SC (Women) and the vice president’s post was reserved for a backward class. The members were asked to file papers between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Only Vanajakshi filed the papers for the president’s post. There were no other contenders, as she was the only candidate to suit the reservation.
As per the schedule, the returning officer was expected to convene the meeting of the elected members and declare the results at 1 p.m. However, of the six members, only two, including Vanajakshi, turned up for the meeting. In the gram panchayt of six members, at least three members should be present to hold the meeting.
Mr. Adityha waited for half an hour. Besides Vanajakshi, Sujatha, another member who belonged to the ST category, was present. The remaining four did not turn up. The officer told the media that the meeting would be reconvened on Monday, February 12 at 1 p.m. “The results of the election will be declared on Monday. Today, the election meeting could not be held due to the lack of quorum,” he said.
It is said that Vanajakshi has been identified with the Congress party. Earlier, she contested the polls with the support of the JD(S) party.
