Now, resort politics at gram panchayat level in Ranebennur taluk

HAVERI: Resort politics is no longer confined to just MLAs, MPs or councillors. A group of gram panchayat members from Devaragudda village in Ranebennur taluk enjoyed 40 days of luxury stay at a resort in Bengaluru in a bid to bring down the Guddaguddapura Gram Panchayat president.

Th gram panchayat members stayed at a resort in Bengaluru for over a month and took a flight to return and cast their vote in a no-confidence motion, under codename ‘Operation Gram Panchayat’.

The Guddaguddapura Gram Panchayat office.

The 10-member team arrived by plane to present the no-confidence motion against gram panchayat president Malatesh Duragappa Naik, who went back on his word to give up office after 15 months, as per an earlier agreement. After the completion of his tenure, Naik refused to vacate the seat to make way for a new president.

This is when the members decided to present a motion of no-confidence against the gram panchayat president, sources said. Of the total of 13 members in the panchayat, nine belong to Santhosh Bhatt Guruji’s (head priest of Devaragudda Malathesha Swami temple) faction and the rest to the BJP. “Santhosh Bhatt Guruji founded our village”, the villageres said.

A no-confidence motion was moved against the gram panchayat president.

One of the gram panchayat members, who came from the resort and participated in the motion of no-confidence said, “The decision to move a no-confidence motion was taken because the panchayat president went back on his promise to vacate the post. There was apprehension that Malatesh would hijack the members of gram panchayat.”

Taluk Deputy Divisional Officer Shivananda Ullagaddi conducted the motion of no-confidence. (ANI)