Final notification of BBMP ward reservation out

The State government on Monday issued the final notification on the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) wards reservation, paving the way for election to the civic agency as per the High Court’s direction.

The notification has come a day after the government’s decision not to pursue its controversial ordinance for creating three new corporations in Bengaluru by splitting the BBMP. Governor Vajubhai Vala had sent back the ordinance, saying he was not satisfied with the government’s argument in favour of promulgating it.

Out of a total of 198 wards, 97 have been reserved for women and several others for SCs and STs. It is for the first time that 50 per cent of wards have been reserved for women in BBMP elections.  The reservation has been fixed in such a way that several of the sitting corporators, especially those belonging to the BJP, will not be able to contest again.

A single-judge bench of Karnataka High Court had recently directed the government to finalise ward reservation on or before April 13 (Monday). It had also directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to go ahead with conducting the elections using the old reservation list if the government fails to finalise the new one before April 13.  The court has asked the SEC to complete the election process by May 30.

SEC swings into action

The SEC immediately swung into action making preparations for conducting the polls. “We have started making preparations for conducting the polls as per the new reservation list. I have convened a meeting of officials on April 15 to review the preparedness, and election dates will be announced soon,” State Election Commissioner P N Srinivasachary said.

Official sources in the SEC said that the elections were likely to be held either in the second or third week of May. The SEC is planning to complete the BBMP polls as early as possible so that it can focus on conducting elections to gram panchayats.

Bitter pill for corporators

These two corporators fought a legal battle against the State Government in the High Court seeking holding of elections to the BBMP on time. The court, after hearing their petition, ordered the State Government and State Election Commission to hold elections to the Palike before May 30.

But now, Shakambari Nagar ward corporator B Somashekar and Pattabhirama Nagar corporator C K Ramamurthy, both of the BJP, cannot seek reelection from the wards they are representing. For, the State government has reserved the two wards for general category women.

Speaking to Deccan Herald on Monday, Somashekar said it is always the policy of the governments to reserve seats and carry out delimitation of wards in such a manner that their party wins.