Opposition to challenge BBMP reservation list in court

Even though uncertainty prevails over when exactly elections for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will be held, all major political parties are drawing strategies to ensure their success.

While BJP leaders maintain that they are prepared for elections, the Congress has been on the offensive accusing the ruling party of tinkering with the reservation list to spoil its prospects.

Parties like AAP and JD(S) also are hoping to gain a sizeable number of seats whenever polls for 243 wards are held.

Indications are that the reservation list could be challenged in court, as Opposition parties have raised objections against the reservation list. This could put off the BBMP elections for a few more months.

Sources also say that not many legislators are keen on elections this year as they have set their eyes on being re-elected from their Assembly constituencies when the state goes to polls in 2023.

Though development agenda and failures of the past BBMP administration — where the Congress-JD(S) combine was in power for four years and BJP for one year — will be among the key issues, the row around the Idgah Maidan at Chamarajpet is also likely to feature in the elections.

Parties are also readying their vision documents to woo voters. However, holding elections for the civic body will be a challenge for the state government as even BJP leaders are unhappy with the reservation list.

Leaders cutting across party lines feared that they will not be able to contest the BBMP elections due to the “unscientific” reservation list.

“Some are happy about the reservation list, and some are not. I have raised objections about reservations in my constituency, Vijayanagar,” BJP general secretary Ashwathnarayan said. The reservation should have been equally distributed geographically across the BBMP limits, he said.

Along with complaints on delimitation, the Congress also is not satisfied with the reservation list.

KPCC working president Ramalinga Reddy alleged that none of the guidelines for reservation were followed. “The Congress has raised objections. We don’t know whether they will rectify the issues. If they don’t, we will go to court,” he said.

Similar complaints — both on delimitation and reservation — were aired by JD(S) and AAP leaders. “The entire exercise appears to be carried out by the ruling BJP to have an advantage through reservation and delimitation. It was done in a way that prominent local leaders of the Opposition cannot contest elections,” AAP state convener Prithvi Reddy said, adding that his party is ready.

Sources aired the parties’ fears that the BBMP elections now could jeopardise the 2023 polls. “Each ward will have four to five aspirants. Angering four aspirants ahead of the general elections will not benefit any MLA, due to which they are not keen on facing elections,” a source said.