BBMP division: Oppn to move guv

The proposal to abolish the BBMP and constitute three municipal bodies in the State capital has become subject of contention between the ruling Congress and the Opposition parties.

Both the BJP and the JD(S) leaders will hit the streets on Thursday to express their opposition to the government’s move. They have decided to petition Governor Vajubhai Vala, requesting him not to give his assent to the ordinance which seeks amendment to the Karnataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) Act to do away with the BBMP.

Learning this, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday met the Governor and urged him to promulgate the ordinance. Official sources said the chief minister explained to the Governor the need for the ordinance and constituting three municipal bodies in place of the BBMP. He is learnt to have explained that administration of the BBMP has become difficult because of its size.

The ordinance seeks to amend the KMC Act to delete the word BBMP, appoint an administrator and constitute three new local bodies.  If the Governor approves of the ordinance, then elections to Bengaluru municipal area will get delayed. Opposition parties BJP and the JD(S) have been opposing the ordinance.

The BJP hopes to retain its supremacy in the Palike as it has done well in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Bengaluru. It has vowed to oppose tooth and nail any move to divide BBMP. On Thursday, the party will take out a procession from Kempegowda statue, opposite to the BBMP headquarters, to Raj Bhavan before meeting the Governor. Former deputy chief minister R Ashoka, who dubbed the move a “backdoor effort” to postpone polls to the civic body due in May, former ministers Suresh Kumar, V Somanna, BJP City MLAs and office bearers and party’s BBMP corporators will participate in the procession scheduled at 10 am.

On its part, the JD(S) will also take out a rally from the party office in Sheshadripuram to Freedom Park. Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda will lead the rally. The JD(S), too, has sought an appointment with the Governor. The party held a meeting in Bengaluru on Wednesday to chalk out its strategy against the government.

Speaking to reporters, JD(S) State president H D Kumaraswamy said the government was trying to postpone polls to the civic body by any means as it feared that its “failure” in administration during the last two years would be reflected in the BBMP elections.