VISHWANATH Vs. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA AND ORS.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner who is one of the elected members of the Town Municipal Council, Jewargi, has the grievance over reserving the post of President of the said Urban Local Body ('ULB' for short) for BCB -Woman. In that regard, he has challenged the notification, dated 24.02.2016 (Annexure -C).

(2.) Sri Ameet Kumar Deshpande, the learned counsel for the petitioner has raised a solitary but formidable contention that as per the proviso to Rule 13(5) of the Karnataka Municipalities (President and Vice -President) Election Rules, 1965 (for short the 'said Rules'), both the Offices of the President and Vice President cannot be reserved for women.

(3.) Sri R.V. Nadagouda, the learned Additional Advocate General appearing for the respondent Nos. 1 and 3 submits that reserving the Offices of both the President and the Vice President for women is impermissible going by the proviso to Rule 13(5) of the said Rules. He submits that the said proviso runs contrary to Article 14 of the Constitution of India.