BENGALURU: KPCC working president Ramalinga Reddy on Friday alleged that the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government is conducting the delimitation of the BBMP wards unscientifically to favour the party and its MLAs. “The delimitation should be based on the 2011 Census, but the BJP, to achieve its own agenda, has been getting it done based on projected population, which is not only unscientific, but also a mockery of democracy”, he charged.
The delimitation committee, including the special commissioner, has been acting on instructions of BJP leaders to ensure favourable conditions for the party in the future polls, Reddy alleged. He demanded that the delimitation committee should include leaders from all parties, like during the delimitation of the Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies in 2008, when JDS patriarch H D Deve Gowda, late H N Ananthakumar of BJP and Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge were part of it.
“There were 198 BBMP wards and the BJP government wanted to increase it to 243 by redrawing the boundaries. The elections to BBMP should have been held in September 2020 itself. Now, the government is into the ‘unscientific’ delimitation process”, he said.
Reddy also urged CM Basavaraj Bommai to not to pursue a project to develop city roads, as it was disputed owing to the inflated cost. The project was approved by B S Yediyurapappa. “The cost of developing 191 km of roads was estimated at Rs 1,220 crore but additionally, Rs 787 crore was fixed for maintenance for five years.Usually, the maintenance is for two to three years.
After we approached the Lokayukta, we thought the project was scrapped. But now, we have got information that the CM is keen to pursue it”, he explained in a press meet with the former Mayors. Instead, the CM should divert the fund to fill the thousands of potholes and save the lives of motorists, he suggested.
AAP to launch signature campaign on potholes
The Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) will launch a signature campaign with regard to the ‘deadly’ potholes on Saturday to create awareness among the residents of Bengaluru. The party’s city vice-president Naganna B T said the aim is to have a potholes-free Bengaluru. The campaign will be kicked off at 10.30 am on Saturday at Majestic Railway Station by garlanding the statue of Krantivira Sangoli Raayanna, he informed. “In ten days, we will reach out to the public in all the constituencies in the city and collect signatures from lakhs of Bengalureans against the State Government and BBMP,” he warned.