BBMP polls soon after Lok Sabha elections, says DKS

Bengaluru: The long-delayed Bengaluru civic body polls will be held immediately after the Lok Sabha elections, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on Tuesday.

Elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) have not been held since September 2020. The civic body is being run by a government-appointed administrator and a chief commissioner.

Addressing Congress workers at a protest against the disruption of the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam, Shivakumar, the Bengaluru City Development minister, indicated that local body polls will be held for 225 municipal wards.

"First, it'll be (Lok Sabha) election. After that, the corporation election will happen within one or two months. You must get ready," Shivakumar told Congress workers. "We have formed 225 wards. Based on your organisation, we'll do justice. We'll empower you, which is our duty," he said, plausibly referring to the BBMP poll tickets.

The state government has been accused of delaying the BBMP election. While the government has completed the process of delimitation for 225 wards, which was notified in September last year, there has been no progress with respect to ward-wise reservation.

In October last year, the government accepted the Justice K Bhaktavatsala Commission report that recommended 33 per cent reservation for the other backward communities (OBCs) in local body polls, including BBMP. Since then, the government has not notified the reservation for 225 wards, which is the last step before the State Election Commission takes over the process of holding elections.

Shivakumar said the Lok Sabha polls may happen in April or May. "There are four seats in Bengaluru where booth-level agents must be appointed. Go to every house in the booths. You must be vigilant on irregularities in the voter lists. The number of voters has increased by several lakhs. I'll verify if it is genuine," he said.

Puttanna gets ticket

Shivakumar, also the Karnataka Congress president, said former MLC Puttanna will be the party's candidate for the February 16 Bangalore Teachers' constituency election. "Puttanna is our candidate. You (workers) must visit educational institutions and meet teachers. Take teachers into confidence," he said.