Hurdles cleared for Aug 22 BBMP poll

State govt withdraws plea in SC

The uncertainity surrounding the BBMP polls seems to have ended after the State government withdrew a plea seeking clarification on the Supreme Court’s July 3 order on holding elections to the civic body.

The State Election Commission had recently unveiled the calendar of events for the BBMP elections with polling scheduled for August 22.

Sources told Deccan Herald that the government decided to withdraw the application instead of dragging the matter in the apex court. 

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Bengaluru district in-charge minister Ramalinga Reddy, ministers from the City and other senior officers were present.

Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department, D Satya Murty wrote to the under secretary, government legal cell, Karnataka Bhavan, New Delhi, on Monday asking the officer to withdraw the Interlocutory Application (IA) filed before the apex court.
The Supreme Court had posted the matter for July 27.

“There is a misconception that the government wanted to defer the elections so it brought the BBMP restructuring bill and kept dragging the matter in the court. The BBMP polls are a different matter and it is going to take place,” said Murty.

However, the officer said that once the BBMP restructuring bill gets governor's nod after the polls, re-election can be held. “We won't say that it will happen immediately after the BBMP elections but that is one of the options,” he added.

Efforts were on by the government to get the governor’s assent for the bill before July 27. The State government had planned to urge the apex court to defer the polls as the BBMP as such would not exist anymore and the restructuring may require more time.