BENGALURU: It was a busy Saturday for BBMP authorities as posters featuring Congress president Rahul Gandhi popped up across the city ahead of his visit on Sunday. Officials were seen struggling hard to remove them in many areas as it is a violation of the election code of conduct. Rahul will be attending various events in the city on Sunday.
As news of his itinerary spread, huge hoardings, flex boards, banners, buntings and other materials featuring his face and other leaders of the party were put up at places like Palace Grounds and other areas in the central district, including Mekhri circle, Cantonment, Shivananda circle and even near the BBMP Head office.
While at some places, the boards featured the councillors’ name, others had the faces and names of ministers put up as well. BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad, who is also District Election Commissioner, said that as per the Election Commission directives, publicity materials like banners or buntings are allowed just at the entrance of any event, and they could be put up only two hours before the event. “Such materials put up any other places will be removed. We have dedicated teams, who will be moving on the main roads and other streets. The minute they see any such material, it will be brought down,” he said.
BBMP authorities said that in the last 12 days, 15,400 banners and buntings, and 6,123 wall paintings were removed. The drive would, however, continue. “All the posters, banners, buntings removed are sent to dry waste collection centres. We are not weighing them, but have kept count,’’ Prasad said.
When asked about the new mushrooming posters with Rahul Gandhi’s photo, the Commissioner said that once they identified the posters or banners, they would take a photograph and a case would be filed under the Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of disfigurement) Act.
It was RaGa everywhere!
On Saturday, banners featuring Rahul Gandhi’s photo came up across areas like Airport Road, Mekhri circle, KC General Hospital, Malleshwaram, Congress office on Queen’s Road, Shivananda circle and many more areas.