Belagavi City Corporation on Tuesday deferred a decision to pass a resolution defending the Mahajan Commission recommendation on Belagavi being an integral part of Karnataka.

This is the second time this year that the city corporation has postponed passing the resolution.

There was some confusion in the House as it opened for business in the morning.

As the meeting began, Congress members demanded that the resolution in favour of Karnataka be adopted.

However, Mayor Preeti Kamkar and Deputy Mayor Hanumant Kongali said that they will take up the issue only after receiving clear instructions from the State government.

Mr. Kongali said that the corporation has sent a reference to the State government with a question about the resolution. He said that the State government is yet to respond to the query.

The Congress and government nominated members in the Opposition did not agree. They insisted that the resolution affirming that Belagavi is an integral part of Karnataka should be adopted in today’s meeting itself.

This led to a tense situation for some time.

The Opposition members argued that there is no need to wait for the State government’s instructions. They demanded that the corporation clarify its stand on the issue of Belagavi being an integral part of Karnataka.

At this time, MES members strongly opposed the adoption of the resolution.

This led to pro-Karnataka slogans being raised in the meeting.

Congress members expressed dissatisfaction over the silence of the BJP members on the issue of passing the resolution in favour of Karnataka.

"We are committed to the Supreme Court’s decision on the Mahajan Commission. We must accept the decision that Belagavi is an integral part of Karnataka. Twenty years ago, this House passed a resolution against the Mahajan Commission. We need to correct that wrong,” nominated member Ramesh Sontakke said.

To a query, Mayor Preeti Kamkar ruled that the Belagavi Municipal Corporation is under the Karnataka government.

"The corporation has always been committed to the language of the land,” she said.

However, Congress members strongly opposed the Mayor’s ruling calling it unclear on the issue at hand.

Members Dinesh Nashipudi, Mustaq Mulla and others walked out in protest.

Mayor Preeti Kamkar adjourned the meeting and walked out.

Meanwhile, Kannada organizations staged a protest in front of the corporation office demanding passage of the pro-Karnataka resolution.

Kannada organizations have been staging a protest since March 26 demanding passage of the pro-Karnataka resolution in the corporation.

Convenor of the central committee of Kannada organisations Ashok Chandargi spoke to the protestors.

He said that the struggle of Kannada organizations will not stop until the pro-Karnataka resolution is passed in the municipal corporation.

"We will bring pressure on the State government to supersede the urban local body, if it delays passing the resolution,” he said.

Activists of Kittur Karnataka Sene, Karunadu Rakshana Vedike, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and other organisations were present. Mahadev Talawar, Mallappa Gudagenatti, Mallikarjuna Marakumbi and Satish Nayak participated in the protest and sit-in.

Published - August 18, 2026 06:37 pm IST