BENGALURU: With over 9,000 staffers of the five city corporations busy with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in July and August, many former corporators and opposition MLAs have expressed doubt that the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) polls can be held before the Supreme Court’s August 31 deadline.
“Like in the past, officials will likely file another affidavit before the apex court seeking an extension to conduct the GBA polls by citing the humongous SIR exercise,” said a two-time former corporator from the Congress.
Vivek Subba Reddy, president, Advocate Association of Bengaluru, pointed out that there are no staffers at the assistant commissioner’s and deputy commissioner’s courts. Court sitting is not happening due to a shortage of personnel as they are on SIR duty. “There is a 100 per cent chance that the government would get the state election commission to file an affidavit before the apex court to seek an extension to hold local body polls as officials were engaged with the SIR,” he added.
Senior BJP leaders Satish Reddy from Bommanahalli and S Muniraju from Dasarahalli also expressed the same and said in case the government gets an extension, the poll dates could be around November-December.
“There are no engineers at 369 wards due to unscientific delimitation. People are angry. The Congress is aware that if it goes to election, it will face a drubbing and hence will try to seek an extension,” said Satish Reddy.
Muniraju said the government has deployed thousands of staff. “Mostly the GBA election will be pushed to December. There is a monsoon deficit. Farmers in Bidadi are in protest mode. The mood is against the Congress, and hence they would delay the polls,” said Muniraju.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rizwan Arshad, a second-time MLA from Shivajinagar, dismissed the claims. He said with most municipal staffers involved in the SIR exercise, it may not be possible to hold the GBA polls. “As SIR is on, the existing voter list is under scrutin
HDK MEETS TICKET ASPIRANTS, TELLS LEADERS TO GIRD UP
Bengaluru: The JDS is gearing up for Greater Bengaluru Authority polls, with Union Minister and JDS State President HD Kumaraswamy convening a meeting with party ticket aspirants on Monday. He said election dates may be announced any moment, and urged party leaders and workers to intensify organisational activities.
Addressing a meeting of presidents of the five Greater Bengaluru divisions, office-bearers and ticket aspirants at the JDS head office, he said the state government had repeatedly postponed the GBA polls. “The election schedule may be announced at any time.
Everyone should be fully prepared,” he said. Kumaraswamy alleged that an anti-incumbency wave has started against the Congress government due to its misgovernance. He claimed that the state government has turned Bengaluru into an “ATM” by misusing taxpayers’ money. ENSy. Without the voter list, how will anybody be able to vote?” he said.
