Bbmp: The 'mantra' of elections; the strategy of division

 'Nobody' wants corporators in BBMP; Dominance of MLAs and Ministers

 The 'mantra' of elections; the strategy of division

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

 Bengaluru: At a time when the stage is being prepared for the elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara palike, the talk of division is being heard again. Due to this, there is a doubt that the election may be postponed by several months.

 The Congress, BJP and JD(S) parties continued to postpone the BBMP elections while showing the 'distant hill' to their workers that the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections should be over. Assembly elections are over, Lok Sabha elections are also over. But only the BBMP election has not been decided yet.

 After the Lok Sabha elections were over, there was talk that another election would be held this time. However, the talk of 'partition strategy' has come to the fore again. Even in 2014, it was said that the election will be held after the Lok Sabha elections. As the ruling Congress won 9 constituencies in the state, the BBMP did not go to the trouble of holding the elections.

 It had said that BBMP will be divided into three parts to postpone the elections. It was tabled in the Legislature and consent was obtained amid three days of debate. That bill which went to the President's signature did not come back. Local opposition to partition cooled. Elections had to be held in 2015 by court orders. Congress came to power along with JDS. 

The term of BBMP Council has ended in September 2020. Although it has been almost four years, only the idea of holding elections is being heard. Even though the processes to be carried out by the government for the elections were done, they were all like postponing the elections. When the elections were to be held, the BJP government started the process of increasing the wards. It took more than a year for this. 198 to 243 wards were re-divided. 

 Allegations were heard that the division of wards was not done according to the population. Former corporators themselves went to court. BJP government also announced reservation for 243 wards. The court was approached saying that this is also not correct. MLAs of all parties were also behind the screen. He had made all the strategies and mantras to advance the election.

 After the Congress government came to power in 2023, it canceled the previous ward redistribution and created 225 wards at a rapid pace. Sabubu said that the 'caste census' report should come in order to announce reservation while considering whether to leave the election. When the report was released in late February, it was said that the BBMP elections would not be possible when the Lok Sabha elections were around the corner.

 After the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress government is in the same situation as it was in 2014. Both the neighboring constituencies, including the three constituencies of the BBMP, have gone to the BJP. Thus, there is an allegation that the weapon of 'divisiveness' has been used to postpone the election. 

Court order both times!

 In 2007, after Bangalore Mahanagara Palika (BNP) became Greater Bangalore Mahanagara Palika, both the elections were held on the orders of the court.

 On the pretext of redistribution from 100 wards to 198 wards, the then BJP government had been postponing the elections that were supposed to be held in 2008. The court then ordered and ordered the election to be held. Due to this, elections were held in 2010.

 In 2014, after the expiry of the BBMP council term, another election was to be held. The then Congress government had tried to postpone the election saying that the BBMP would be divided into three parts. Then the election was held in 2015 with the intervention of the court.

 The 'caste census report' is not agreed, though...

 Deputy Chief Minister D.K. said that there is a court order and elections have to be held. Shivakumar says. However, if reservation is to be fixed for 225 wards, the government must agree to the 'caste report'. It should be notified accordingly. Then the ward should be allocated. Even though all this process is completed during wartime, it takes four months to complete the ward reservation process. If someone goes to the court saying that reservation is not right, then everything will be blocked again. It is being said that this is what the MLAs and ministers of all parties want and what is being done behind the scenes.