Release BBMP reservation of wards list: HC

Final notification by November 30

Hearing an interlocutory application by the State Election Commission (SEC), the division bench comprising Chief Justice P D Dinakaran and Justice V G Sabhahit directed the State to release the final notification list by November 30.

The SEC has been directed to announce the calender of events pertaining to the BBMP polls by December 7.

The SEC had submitted that despite continuous letters to the Principal Secretary of Urban Development Department (UDD) to release funds for the elections and also intimate them about preparation of the draft voter list, the Government had failed to respond.

Delay

The applicants said that they  were not in a position to either declare or conduct elections, despite having the electoral rolls ready and taking all the preparatory steps, as there has been a delay in releasing the final notification list. Seeking the directions for final notification, K N Phanindra, Counsel for SEC, said that the delay is not due to them, but due to the State Government.

Advocate General Ashok Harnahalli sought two weeks’ time to set right the errors and the division bench fixed the deadline to November 30.

The bench, following the request of SEC directed the High Court registry to list any cases related to the BBMP polls before the Chief Justice.   

In July 2008, the High Court disposed off a petition filed by former mayor P R Ramesh and directed that elections to BBMP be held in three months time. However the deadline for elections was extended by another four months time in October 2008.

It was further delayed following the Lok Sabha polls in March 2009. Yet again in June
2009, two months time was given, as the delimitation process was incomplete.
On September 17, 2009 the High Court gave time till October 10 for releasing the reservation list per ward, October 15 for releasing funds for elections and October 23 for releasing the calendar of events.