BENGALURU: With the Supreme Court and Karnataka High Court clearing the decks for Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections and directing the state government to complete the process of delimitation of wards and reservation for other backward classes (OBCs), many sitting corporators and aspirants have already got into poll mode.
In HAL ward, an aspirant has gone a step ahead and took about 150 leaders at ward level on a trip to Goa.
Talking to TNIE, S Ramesh, President of HAL Vegetables and Fruits Market Association, and an aspirant from HAL ward said, “We had this (Goa) trip planned long ago, but once the model code of conduct for the polls comes into effect, we will be busy. Hence, 150 local leaders were taken on a three-day trip to Goa on Monday.”
He added that a resort called ‘International Centre Goa’ was booked and per day room rental is Rs 4,500 which includes complimentary breakfast for three people. We hired cooks from Bengaluru or else the cost for food would have gone up by Rs 1.5 lakh. Three luxury buses were arranged and the bus fare is running up to Rs 1.39 lakh.
The leader, who is a staunch follower of Urban Development Minister Byrathi Basavaraj, further added that many women also wanted to come for the trip. But anticipating controversy, only men were taken and in the coming days, women workers from the ward will be sent to Velangani and Rameshwaram on pilgrimage. Ramesh was earlier loyal to BJP MLA Nandish Reddy but after falling out with him, joined Basavaraj who trounced Reddy in 2013 Assembly polls from K R Puram.