BENGALURU: With the State Election Commission releasing the ward-wise reservation and draft voters’ list ahead of polls to the five city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), city units of political parties, including BJP and Congress, are busy screening aspirants for the polls.
According to Bengaluru Central District BJP president Saptagiri Gowda, issues are hyperlocal, but at the same time, larger issues like traffic, flooding and other major infrastructure will be on the agenda.
DK Mohan Babu, president of the Bengaluru East City Corporation unit of Congress, said the preparation began over two years ago, and the party will use the ‘guarantee’ schemes and the ongoing road infrastructure work to its advantage.
Gowda said the party has candidates for all the 369 wards. A committee headed by the BJP state president, leaders of opposition in the Assembly and Council and few others will meet to discuss the way forward.
He said, “We have challenged the GBA and the split of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The court has clubbed all related cases and posted the hearing for March 11. Meanwhile, the preparation are going on for the elections. BJP is always ready to face the elections.
Starting from the Gandhinagar and Chamarajpet Assembly constituencies, BJP will highlight issues like poor quality of streetlights, garbage, drug menace and pubic safety.”
Many aspirants are now seen clutching the coattails of local MLAs and defeated candidates in Assembly polls for a party ticket. An aspiring Congress candidate said he has been attending public meetings by the MLA and based on his directions, local issues are addressed and solved by coordinating with officials.
“Without the local MLA’s recommendation, no aspiring corporator can get a ticket,” he pointed out.
Former deputy mayor S Harish said the screening committee will hold a meeting shortly and call aspiring candidates. A fit candidate will be selected, and other aspirants will be asked to coordinate with the selected person to ensure the party’s victory, he added.
On ward-wise reservation being challenged in courts, he said, “It is the state government’s decision to release a ward-wise reservation list, and the party will work on the arithmetic for winning 30% of seats alone from the ward-wise reservation list.”
He lashed out at Congress, saying it delayed holding the elections on various pretexts. Now only after the Supreme Court directive, the draft voters’ list was released to hold elections, he added.
Meanwhile, the Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party has already announced that it will contest in 100 seats across Bengaluru and will look forward to win at least 50.
Party founder Srikanth Narasimhan said once the final ward-wise reservation list is out, the aspiring candidates will be introduced to voters.