2 days ago
UD secy reserves order in mayor disqualification case
Belagavi: Urban development department secretary Deepa Cholan on Wednesday reserved the final order in the disqualification case against Belagavi mayor Mangesh Pawar for five more days.
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The case has drawn significant public interest in Belagavi, with residents keenly awaiting the outcome. Many expected a verdict on Wednesday itself, but the order was deferred.
Mayor Pawar is facing allegations of violating the 'office of profit' norms. Earlier this year, the Belagavi regional commissioner (RC) disqualified his corporator membership based on these charges. Pawar's appeal to the UD secretary failed, with officer Cholan upholding the RC's decision.
Following that, Pawar approached the Karnataka high court, which granted him interim relief by allowing him to vote in the mayoral election and contest as a candidate.
Despite the legal uncertainty, the ruling BJP in the Belagavi City Corporation fielded Pawar in the mayoral race, and he was elected. The party alleged that officials were acting under pressure from the Congress-led state government. Belagavi South MLA Abhay Patil accused the regional commissioner of acting under political influence while disqualifying Pawar.
The high court eventually remanded the matter back to the UD secretary for a final decision. If the secretary reaffirms her earlier decision, Pawar is likely to lose his post as mayor. The UD secretary also held a hearing of another city corporator, Jayant Jadhav, who is also facing the same charges.
