BENGALURU: The political parties in Karnataka have drawn their swords for the battle of Bengaluru. After the intervention of the Supreme Court, decks have been cleared for conducting elections for the 243 wards of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the elections of which have been pending since September, 2019.
The BJP and the Congress want to establish their supremacy to show that they are running the show in the Silicon Valley of India. Both are indulging in bitter fights over the reservation of wards, and the Congress has gone to the Supreme Court. The verdict is expected soon.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is brimming with confidence that it would fly its flag in Bengaluru by springing a surprise in the civic polls of Bengaluru, no matter whenever the elections are held. The ruling BJP has been accused of bungling with reservation and the delimitation process. The Opposition blames the ruling party for deliberately wanting a prolonged legal battle so that the BBMP elections are held after the state General Assembly elections in 2023.
Anil Kumar Tadkal, spokesperson of the Congress, said that the BJP has violated all rules while finalizing the delimitation of wards. "There has to be certain guidelines such as the number of voters or any other criterion. Where there is no presence of ST community, the ward is reserved for them. Similarly where there are more number of SC voters, the ward is made general category. Wherever Congress MLAs are there, in 96 wards, 72 wards are reserved for women," he said.
He further said that the anti-incumbency factor is clearly visible in Bengaluru. "The ruling party has destroyed the status of Bengaluru as IT, BT and garden city. First, the BJP made Bengaluru a garbage city and people know how they had put public buildings for sale. We will focus on these and we will not have any problem facing elections at any given point," he said.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai defended the list by stating that the reservation matrix has been prepared in accordance with the 2015 High Court order. "The Congress had also done it when they were in power. They should introspect on what they have done. We all know what has happened in each constituency," CM Bommai had stated.
Jagadish V. Sadam, the State Media Convener for AAP in Karnataka stated that Bengaluru people are suffering because of the corruption of ruling BJP. "The people have decided to vote for the AAP and the victory of the party is ensured. From the selection of candidates by AAP itself, people will see differences. The not-so-famous people and friendly individuals from various walks of life are chosen. AAP is giving an opportunity to 122 women candidates to contest. Our women candidates are independent and people can make out differences between the candidates of national parties who are nothing but rubber stamps. Our women candidates would be educated, independent. The people would feel proud to elect them," Jagadish V. Sadam said. IANS
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