BBMP elections unlikely in May

The much-awaited elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) council is likely to be delayed again.

The state government — which had earlier indicated that the polls would be held in May this year — is faced with a new challenge after the Supreme Court struck down reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in local body elections. This has effectively put a stop to poll preparations.

It's learnt that a delegation met Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to insist on reserving wards for OBC candidates. The pro-OBC lobby reportedly informed Bommai that they would be fighting a losing battle if they were to face candidates from the general category.

Bommai is said to have directed Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar to form a committee and study the Supreme Court order.

Of the 198 wards, 63 were reserved for OBC candidates in September 2020 when the term of the BBMP council expired. The reservation list was, however, scrapped as the state government came up with a new Act for Bengaluru. A top source said OBC reservation was a key reason for not holding BBMP elections as early as April or May this year.

S R Vishwanath, MLA of Yelahanka, said there would be clarity with regard to the elections once the matter is heard in the Supreme Court. “The case is likely to come up for hearing on March 13. The state government is willing to hold elections immediately,” he said.

Lack of clarity from the government has also created confusion among bureaucrats who are in charge of preparing delimitation of wards. Sources said the work of preparing boundaries for 243 wards is almost complete and ready for submission. The government had extended the term of the delimitation commission thrice in the last 1.5 years.

State Election Commissioner B Basavaraju said the commission needs at least two months to prepare the voters' list. "The voter list of 198 wards was finalised almost a year ago. If the Supreme Court orders elections for 243 wards, we may need at least two months to update the electoral rolls,” he said.

Another 43 days are needed to notify draft delimitation as well as the reservation list which involves seeking objections, scrutinising them, etc.

Bengaluru Central MP P C Mohan was of the view that the BBMP council polls should be held at the earliest. “It becomes easy for people to get complaints pertaining to water, sewage and garbage solved if there is an elected council,” he said.

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