Legislators can't hold two positions: Election Commission

Belagavi: The State Election Commission has taken serious cognizance of legislators holding two important positions at the same time and warned them to step down from one post immediately.

As per Election Commission's guidelines, any elected representative holding the position of legislator, corporator or any such position, should stay in only one position and resign from all other posts. An RTI activist who got the issue of ‘one man two position' clarified by the Election Commission has said, Belagavi MLA Sambhajirao Patil holds the positions of MLA and corporator in spite of the commission's directions.

In its reply to questions posed by RTI activist from Belagavi, Bheemappa Gadad, the Election Commission says any people's representative who holds an important post, should resign from one post when he wins the second Post in three days. As per the Election Commission's orders, Mr Patil should have resigned from one of the two posts immediately, said Mr Gadad.

Mr Patil has created a record of sorts by winning the mayoral polls five times and won the last Council polls held in March 2013 with a huge margin of votes from Ward 15 in Belagavi city. As an Independent candidate supported by Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), Mr Patil won the election to the Assembly from Belagavi South constituency in May, 2013.

Since then, he has continued to hold two important positions and did not follow the orders of the commission, alleges Mr Gadad.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Mr Patil said he was prepared to resign from one of the posts immediately if he gets the order from the commission. ''I have no personal interest in holding two positions. Under pressure from my supporters in the ward and assembly segment, I am forced to hold both seats,'' he said. However, Mr Gadad has demanded Patil's resignation and wrote to all authorities concerned to take note of the issue.