JOIN USBJP leaders, Cong ministers spar in BBMP Council
High drama marked the mayoral polls on Thursday. The BJP boycotted the elections, making it a cakewalk for the Congress-JD(S) combine to take both the posts of mayor and deputy mayor.
Starting the election process, when Regional Commissioner M Jayanthi asked if any candidate wished to withdraw from the contest, Bengaluru Development Minister K J George and Minister for Urban Development R Roshan Baig asked BJP MLA R Ashoka and Opposition leader in the BBMP Council, Padmanabha Reddy, to withdraw their party’s candidates.
Reddy stood up and told Baig: “Please do not ask us to withdraw. We have more voters than your party. If at all, you should withdraw from the polls.”
As soon as Jayanthi suggested that the time to withdraw the names was over and asked who all were willing to vote for R Sampath Raj of the Congress, all members of the Congress and the JD(S) raised their hands.
BJP members stood up and chorused in unison: “This is unjust. We do not agree with this. The Congress is involved in irregularities. This (election) is a sham. They are involved in mobile voting.”
Some Congress members retorted: “You are responsible for the city’s present condition. People are fed up with your government. Please go and have lunch at Indira Canteens today. It will be free for you. You need not even pay Rs 10. This is the only relief you might get since you cannot bear a loss.”
After the results were announced, the Congress and the JD(S) celebrated the victory by bursting firecrackers.
BJP members protested by clearing the dust that had accumulated on the premises. Some of them, however, congratulated Sampath Raj.
Outgoing mayor G Padmavathi said: “BJP members killed democracy today. This is not the way to behave in the (BBMP) council.”
Geoge said: “If the city is reeling under problems today, it’s because of the BJP government that was in power before us. All this drama is for the upcoming elections.”
Ashoka said: “People gave us the majority in the BBMP, but the Congress has been manipulating the polls.”
C N Ashwath Narayan, the BJP’s Malleswaram MLA, said: “This is not a lawful polling since we complained against the irregularities six months ago. But no action has been taken. Some (ineligible) voters included their names in the voters’ list.”