As the Congress' Karnataka unit petitioned the state election commission, urging it to hold gram panchayat elections and accused the government of the conspiring to "saffronise" panchayats, the poll body on Friday wrote to district administrations seeking opinion about conducting it amid COVID-19.
In a letter to Deputy Commissioners of districts, the state election panel has sought opinion regarding holding panchayat polls amid COVID-19 crisis and also as electoral roll needs to be prepared and reservation has to be allocated as per the new amendments.
According to sources, the government has planned to postpone the polls to 6,025 gram panchayats in the state because of the prevailing COVID-19 situation and instead have administrative committees to govern the panchayats, until the polls are held.
The Congress raising apprehension about having such administrative committees, has accused the government of conspiring to have ruling BJP workers as its members.
A delegation comprising Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, KPCC president-designate D K Shivakumar and a host of Congress leaders today submitted a petition to State Election Commissioner B Basavaraju and urged the Commission to hold elections.
"The government was conspiring to postpone panchayat electrons citing COVID-19 as the pretext. It (government) is there by trying to violate the constitution and Panchayat Raj Act," Siddaramaiah told reporters after meeting the Commissioner.
Stating that the term of panchayat is five years from the date of its first meeting, he said, "it cannot be exceeded, government has no powers... by now election process had to start, which has not been done yet."
The Minister had also said that a cabinet decision has been taken in this regard after consulting the Advocate General and experts, he noted and said, "they (government) has no right, they cannot give directions to the state election commission, which is an autonomous body."
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