BBMP poll likely in third week of may third week; government moves HC against elections,BBMP poll 2015, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
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- Category: Karnataka Political News
- Last Updated: Friday, 10 April 2015 13:30
BBMP poll likely in third week of may third week; government moves HC against elections
BENGALURU: The State Election Commission (SEC) is preparing to hold elections to the city corporation council in the third week of May even as the state government filed a writ appeal before the High Court against holding elections on the grounds that the civic body needs restructuring. The writ appeal is expected to come up for hearing before a Division Bench on Monday .
Sources told ET the commission will notify the calendar of events for the polls next week and complete the process before May 30 as directed by Justice BV Nagarathna of the High Court. Moving ahead in this direction, the SEC on Thursday appointed 35 election observers to oversee the smooth conduct of the polls and prevent any malpractice.
The observers will report to the commission once the poll dates are announced.
The writ appeal, which the government filed, is in line with the Siddaramaiah regime's thinking that the question of holding polls to BBMP council does not arise as the civic body itself is undergoing a process of restructuring, and is being replaced with three smaller civic bodies. The State Cabinet on March 20 decided to slice up BBMP into three civic bodies, and at another level is sued show-cause notice to council members, mayor, deputy mayor and others, asking why the government should not supersede the council in the wake of massive irregularities that were coming to light in the institution. This was seen as a precursor to the supersession of the BBMP Council to wriggle out of the present crisis and postpone the polls.
In its writ appeal, the government has said that the ordinance paving way for three civic bodies in place of BBMP has gone for the governor's assent and there is a possibility of the government appointing an administrator to run the affairs of the civic bodies in the absence of the elected council.
The government has also pleaded that it needs to revise the rolls and carry out delimitation of wards according to 2011 Census figures, and decide on roster (category-wise reservation) based on the census figures, and decide on rotation keeping social justice in mind.
Justice Nagarathna gave the government time till April 13 to publish the final roster, and told the SEC to go ahead with polls based on the existing roster in case the government does not publish the revised roster.
The BJP took out a rally in protest against the move to split the civic body. A party delegation met the governor and submitted a memorandum against the proposal.
src:economictimes