Karnataka High Court Extends Term of Ankola Town Municipal Council Amid Broader Order on Administrator Appointments  

By The News Observer Desk,

Karwar: In a landmark interim ruling, the Karnataka High Court has barred the state government from appointing administrators to City Municipal Councils (CMCs) until their elected bodies complete their full five-year terms, effectively extending the mandate of the Ankola Town Municipal Council, which was set to expire on Sunday, October 12, 2025.

The order, issued on Friday, responds to petitions from councilors across various CMCs, including Ankola in Uttara Kannada district, who argued that premature administrator appointments undermine democratic governance and violate the Karnataka Municipalities Act. For Ankola, the extension preserves the council’s continuity, averting a potential administrative takeover just days after its term’s conclusion.

Under the Act, CMC councilors serve a five-year term from the first meeting to elect the President and Vice-President, whose roles last 30 months each. Petitioners, including representatives from Ankola, pointed to the government’s delays in reserving posts for subsequent terms, which previously led to administrators overseeing councils for up to 16 months—halting elected functions and shortening overall tenures.

The recent government plan to appoint administrators ahead of elections—without finalizing voter lists, area demarcations, or reservations—was challenged as a direct infringement on elected rights. The High Court, after reviewing submissions, mandated no such appointments until terms end naturally, with further hearings slated for October 16, 2025.

Local leaders in Ankola hailed the decision as a victory for grassroots democracy, ensuring seamless service delivery without bureaucratic interruptions. This ruling underscores growing judicial scrutiny on timely electoral processes in Karnataka’s urban local bodies.