<p>Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan on Friday said the state government would consider moving the Supreme Court against the High Court’s decision on holding elections to the Bengaluru civic body.</p>.<p>The High Court on Friday held that elections to the BBMP should be conducted for the existing 198 wards. This threw a spanner in the government’s plan to increase the number of wards to 243 as part of a new law it has proposed to govern Bengaluru.</p>.<p>The High Court directed the State Election Commission to notify the elections to the BBMP within six weeks from the date of final notification of ward-wise reservation, which the state government is now expected to do within a month.</p>.<p>“We will discuss the way forward within the party’s (BJP) forum,” Narayan said. “Should we challenge the High Court order before the Supreme Court? All of this will be discussed by analyzing the pros and cons. We will also discuss this with the opposition parties and make a decision,” he added.</p>.<p>In March, the BJP government tabled the BBMP Bill in the Legislative Assembly to give Bengaluru a separate law. “This was a promise we made in our manifesto,” Narayan said.</p>.<p>The Bill was referred to a Joint Select Committee for review. The panel recommended increasing the number of wards from 198 to 243, which will require delimitation.</p>.<p>The tabling of the BBMP Bill and the delimitation was seen as a ploy to delay elections to the civic body.</p>.<p>Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar hailed the High Court order.</p>.<p>“In a democracy, elections should be held based on the tenure of an elected body. But the BJP government tried to put off the polls and derail democracy,” he said. “The HC has put an end to this conspiracy,” he said, accusing the BJP of having tried to postpone the gram panchayat elections as well.</p>
<p>Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan on Friday said the state government would consider moving the Supreme Court against the High Court’s decision on holding elections to the Bengaluru civic body.</p>.<p>The High Court on Friday held that elections to the BBMP should be conducted for the existing 198 wards. This threw a spanner in the government’s plan to increase the number of wards to 243 as part of a new law it has proposed to govern Bengaluru.</p>.<p>The High Court directed the State Election Commission to notify the elections to the BBMP within six weeks from the date of final notification of ward-wise reservation, which the state government is now expected to do within a month.</p>.<p>“We will discuss the way forward within the party’s (BJP) forum,” Narayan said. “Should we challenge the High Court order before the Supreme Court? All of this will be discussed by analyzing the pros and cons. We will also discuss this with the opposition parties and make a decision,” he added.</p>.<p>In March, the BJP government tabled the BBMP Bill in the Legislative Assembly to give Bengaluru a separate law. “This was a promise we made in our manifesto,” Narayan said.</p>.<p>The Bill was referred to a Joint Select Committee for review. The panel recommended increasing the number of wards from 198 to 243, which will require delimitation.</p>.<p>The tabling of the BBMP Bill and the delimitation was seen as a ploy to delay elections to the civic body.</p>.<p>Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar hailed the High Court order.</p>.<p>“In a democracy, elections should be held based on the tenure of an elected body. But the BJP government tried to put off the polls and derail democracy,” he said. “The HC has put an end to this conspiracy,” he said, accusing the BJP of having tried to postpone the gram panchayat elections as well.</p>
