Karnataka BJP Approaches SC for Prompt BBMP Elections

Bengaluru, Feb 24 (NationPress) The Karnataka BJP has approached the Supreme Court, seeking immediate directions to hold elections for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) without any further delays.

Former mayors Gautham and Narayanaswamy, along with former deputy mayors and district president Harish, have endorsed the petition, as stated by state BJP chief spokesperson Ashwath Narayan on Monday.

State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra established a committee to address this matter. The committee, represented by senior advocate Sandeep Patil, has submitted a petition to the Supreme Court, urging that elections in Bengaluru occur at the earliest possible date, as mentioned.

The Supreme Court is set to discuss the issue concerning the BBMP polls on Tuesday, February 25. The state government has informed the Supreme Court that elections for the newly constituted municipal corporations in Bengaluru, following the proposed Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, can only occur after August 15, 2025.

The term of the previous council expired in September 2020, and despite several delays and legal obstacles, civic elections have not been held. This extended absence of elected representatives has raised concerns regarding public representation in the BBMP and the authority of the officials.

Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who represents the BTM Layout constituency in Bengaluru, emphasized on Monday that the overdue elections for the BBMP must be conducted in May, regardless of any challenges. The last municipal council election in Bengaluru was held in September 2020, over four years ago.

In response to worries about the delay, Reddy defended the Congress-led government, attributing the postponement to efforts for creating a Greater Bengaluru Authority. He reiterated that elections should be conducted in May to prevent possible intervention by the Supreme Court.

“In 2008, during BJP governance, municipal elections were postponed for nearly three years. Similarly, the BJP government in 2020 did not hold the elections on schedule,” he claimed.

The Greater Bengaluru Bill (GBB), 2024, supported by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, aims to reorganize Bengaluru’s governance by dividing the BBMP into ten smaller corporations under the guidance of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA). The bill was introduced during the session and referred to a 13-member joint house committee.

On December 18, 2020, the Supreme Court suspended the High Court's order for conducting BBMP elections for 198 wards instead of 243, as stipulated under the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Amendment Act, which governs Bengaluru.

In its written statement, the state government informed the Supreme Court that the revised Greater Bengaluru Bill, 2024 is anticipated to be presented before the State Legislature in the upcoming budget session commencing March 3.