A municipal meeting held to discuss Belagavi city’s water supply concerns took an unexpected turn when Mahadev Rathore, husband of ruling party corporator Lakshmi Rathore, was seen attending the session, which was strictly meant for elected corporators.
The Belagavi City Corporation convened the meeting, attended by officials from the Water Supply Board, L&T, Hescom, and municipal staff. Despite not being an elected member, Rathore not only entered the hall but also took a corporator’s designated seat and actively participated in the discussions, even issuing directions to officials.
This is not Rathore’s first instance of involvement in municipal affairs. In 2023, he was present at a Standing Committee meeting, which led to dissatisfaction among fellow party corporators and eventually resulted in his withdrawal from further sessions. He also attended a budget preparatory meeting, defending his presence by claiming to represent an organization.
Although the meeting was officially restricted to corporators, no objections were raised by ruling party members. Notably, Rathore’s name did not appear in the official attendance register. Another corporator’s husband was briefly present but exited before the meeting began.
The incident brings renewed focus to concerns surrounding urban governance. With half of the municipal seats reserved for women to promote their leadership, reports indicate that many corporators’ husbands are taking an active part in civic decision-making, some even introducing themselves as corporators. This has raised serious questions about the intent and implementation of the reservation policy and the need for stricter enforcement of municipal norms.
