BBMP election deadlines extended, no sign of election

Bengaluru: The Supreme Court has again adjourned the hearing of the petition regarding the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palika (BBMP) elections to December 15.

Therefore, it is impossible to hold elections to the corporation election and as alleged by the Election Commission, there is no possibility of the government holding the elections till the end of the next assembly elections.

A petition filed seeking direction for the election was heard on Friday before a bench headed by Justice SS Abdul Nazir as the deadline given by the High Court had passed. After hearing the arguments for some time, the bench examined the report submitted by the government saying that time is needed as the government has to make reservations for the backward classes.

Counsel for Election Commission K N Phanindra stated, 'The report of the Backward Classes Commission is ready. The government has no problem with reservation. He said that if the election is postponed, the assembly election will be held in a few months and the corporation election cannot be held until that process is completed.' Later, the bench adjourned the hearing to December 15. The hearing has been scheduled on December 14 in the High Court.

The legal battle that has been going on in the High Court and the Supreme Court regarding the corporation elections for two years now shows no signs of stopping. The election is being postponed on one pretext or the other because the government and the sitting MLAs do not want to hold the election.

On September 30, a single member bench of the High Court had ordered that reservation be fixed for 243 wards of BBMP by November 30 and elections should be held by December 31, 2022. However, the Urban Development Department had submitted an affidavit to extend the period for another three months to comply with the order of the High Court.

Reservation for SC, ST, Backward Class 'A' and 'B' in 243 wards of BBMP and submission of detailed list of backward classes who are eligible for political reservation as per Supreme Court and High Court directive. A letter was written to the commission headed by K Bhaktavatsala. The government has requested that three months should be given to conduct the elections as it has requested time.

The tenure of elected members of BBMP has ended by September 2020. So, the High Court directed the government to conduct the elections. The High Court, hearing the petition challenging the reservation list, had on September 30 directed the government to publish a new reservation list by November 30, 2022. However, the government has filed an application seeking an extension of time to hold the elections without reasons. The petition is totally not justifying. The Election Commission said that there is an intention behind this to delay the election.

The government intends to hold elections after May 2023. Assembly elections will be held by May 2023. If the schedule is published, the corporation election will be postponed indefinitely. Then Article 243-3 of the Constitution will be violated', the commission said in the objection.