Poll code renders Mayor, BBMP panel heads jobless

 Mayor D Venkatesh Murthy and Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike Standing Committee chairpersons have been rendered jobless following the enforcement of the model code of conduct in view of the Assembly elections. Incidentally, their term gets over in two months.

According to the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act, Mayor and the standing committee chairpersons will have a 11-month tenure.

Accordingly, their term was supposed to end by April 30. But, it got extended by 15 days in view of the Assembly elections. However, this extension has not helped them in any way as they have been snatched of all powers due to the poll code.

Term ending

What is more dispiriting for many of the chairpersons and the members of the committees is that they will be replaced soon after the Assembly elections.

While many chairpersons are wary of the fact that their ‘dreams’ will remain unfulfilled, the only consoling factor for them is that before the elections, they had set in motion various projects which their successors would implement.

It is also learnt that chairpersons of some of the committees have locked their offices while some of them visit their offices to spend time. S Venkatesh Babu says he has no regrets that the election code has technically reduced his term as Health committee chairperson.

N R Sridhar Reddy, Major Works standing committee chairperson, says that he too had many dreams for the City but the election code came in the way of realising them.
However, the election code has not restricted him from spending time in the office.

“I do go to office, but I don’t have any job there. All powers have been snatched for the time being,” says
Reddy.