BENGALURU: If all goes well, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections for 243 wards will be conducted by this year-end. The process of delimitation and reservation of wards is expected to be completed in a few weeks.
The term of the BBMP council with 198 wards ended in September last year, and in December, the BBMP Joint Select Committee, headed by BJP MLA S Raghu, submitted its recommendations favouring 243 wards. Following this, the process of delimitation had started.
“So far, we conducted two to three meetings on the delimitation. There is a demand from MLAs of constituencies located on the city outskirts to include more villages in the BBMP, and we are working on it. We are hoping to complete this process soon,’’ said a senior official of the Urban Development Department (UDD).
When contacted, Rakesh Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (UDD) and BBMP Administrator, said that there will be some clarity on the delimitation in a week’s time. Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya, who was part of the committee, said that the delimitation process is expected to be completed by September-end and it will be uploaded in the public domain.
“Once this is done, objections will be called for, and we are hoping that the elections will be held by the year-end,’’ he added. The Opposition Congress has been blaming the ruling BJP for the delay in holding elections.
Meanwhile, the State Election Commission, which is keen on holding the polls, will file a petition before the Supreme Court. In December 2020, the Karnataka High Court had directed the state government to conduct elections for 198 wards within six weeks, but state government filed a petition before the Supreme Court stressing on the new BBMP Act that includes 243 wards. The SEC has filed its objection.
TIMELINE
March 2020: BBMP Bill tabled in the House
August 2020: State government constitutes 20-member Joint Select Committee
September 2020: Term of BBMP Councillors with 198 ward ends
December 2020: BBMP Bill passed in the House. Allows increase in number of wards and proposes 30-month Mayoral term
January 2021: Governor gives nod to the bill increasing the number of wards from 198 to 243