BJP, JD(S) corporators hail HC order on Palike polls

Corporators of  the ruling BJP and the JD(S) have welcomed the High Court order to hold the BBMP elections before May 30.

On Monday, just when the BBMP Council was discussing its reply to the State government’s show-cause notice on why it should not supersede the Palike for the maladministration, the High Court gave the big relief to corporators from the ruling party and the JD(S).
Mayor N Shanthakumari described the High Court order as a “victory for democracy”.

“Holding local body elections shows the respect for the democratic set-up. The government should respect the judiciary, if not people’s sentiment,” she told Deccan Herald.

Shakambari Nagar BJP corporator B Somashekar, who and others had moved the High Court against the government’s decision not to hold BBMP elections, too hailed the order. Banashankari corporator A H Basavaraju said the government had moved to trifurcate the BBMP “without knowing the cultural, religious and social background of this City”.

“Can the government trifurcate Annamma, the feminine deity of the City, on the lines of trifurcation of the BBMP. Will it divide the annual Karaga into three? These are some of the emotional issues, which the insensitive government cannot understand,” he opined.

Congress leader in the BBMP council, B N Manjunath Reddy, appeared defensive, saying the High Court order was binding on all. “I don’t know whether the government would appeal to the division bench, but as of now, whatever order has been passed should be obeyed,” he said.