Berhampur: Uncertainty looms large over the mayor's post at the municipal corporation here after the Ganjam district and sessions court declared K. Madhavi's election to the post and councillor as null and void.

Though the council meeting of the corporation is scheduled to be held on February 19, the civic body is yet to decide who will preside over the meeting.

"We are consulting our advocate on the issue," said corporation commissioner Chakravarti Singh Rathore. "We have not received a copy of the judgment of Ganjam district and sessions court declaring the election of K. Madhavi as null and void. She has the prerogative to appeal against the lower court verdict in the high court within 30 days, which is the judicial process. We cannot comment about it during this juncture."

K. Madhavi has stopped visiting the corporation office since the court gave verdict against her. Mentioning that she had every respect for the court, she said: "I will challenge the verdict of the Ganjam district and sessions court in the high court."

"I have worked for the people of Berhampur, and I received their support," she said.

Senior BJD leader and Berhampur MLA Ramesh Chandra Chau Patnaik said Madhavi would go to the high court and the government would take a decision on the mayor's post through a legal process.

According to the Municipal Act, if the mayor's post is lying vacant, the deputy mayor can manage the show unless and until the council meeting of the civic body passes a resolution on it.

One of the five women councillors of the BJD - Jyoti Subudhi, Sanghamitra Dalei, Mamata Bishoi, Rashmita Jena and N. Teteswari - who belongs to the OBC, are aspirants of mayor's post at a time K. Madhavi's election is rendered null and void.

In the 40-ward corporation, the BJD has 27 seats, including K. Madhavi, Congress, 11 and the BJP, two.