BNP seeks directly elected mayor with five-year term

Bengaluru: With the state government coming up with the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill to revamp municipal administration, the Bengaluru Nava Nirmana Party (BNP) has suggested an autonomous city government with provisions such as a five-year term for the mayor and mayor-in-council as part of constitutional mandate. 

Party’s founder Srikanth Narasimhan also reminded the Congress government of its own leader Rahul Gandhi’s public promise "to establish directly elected mayors with five-year terms and elected councils along with specialists and experts to improve the quality of life in our cities", referring to the April 1, 2019, tweet. 

"The bill must incorporate the vision of an effective, accountable and autonomous city government, that is relatively free from state government control, which would make Bengaluru a far more livable city for its residents. The empowerment and autonomy of city governments is constitutionally mandated. We are, hence, seeking only execution of constitutional guarantees,” he said. 

The BNP has also brought to notice renowned economist and deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia’s stance on Bengaluru and urban management. 

"Making a city livable involves more than just attracting corporate investment. There is a whole lot of urban management to be done. And Bengaluru has not done what it should be doing. Now that it is on the global map, the first thing to be done is to make the Bengaluru city government hugely more efficient,” he had said. 

The BNP’s suggestions include: mayor to be elected for a five-year term (similar to PMs and CMs), and must have the power to appoint mayor-in-council (that will collectively decide on municipal governance as per the proposal of the Brand Bengaluru Committee) as well as a chief commissioner/commissioner to be appointed by and to report to the mayor, divorced from a commissioner appointed by the state government.

It also recommended empowering of citizens through area sabhas, public disclosure of operations, projects and financials by urban local bodies (ULBs), etc.