To make last-ditch attempt in HC today

Bengaluru, Apr 13 (DHNS): The State government on Sunday decided not to pursue its controversial ordinance for constituting three new municipal bodies in Bengaluru in place of the BBMP.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who held a meeting with his ministerial colleagues from Bengaluru at his home office Krishna on Sunday, decided not to re-submit the controversial ordinance to the Governor seeking his assent. “The Governor has sent back the ordinance saying that he was not satisfied. So, the government has decided not to re-submit it. Instead, we (the government) will inform and try to convince the court about our intentions,” Law Minister T B Jayachandra told reporters.

Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala is understood to have taken exception to the government taking the ordinance route at a time when elections to the BBMP are round the corner. He has also sought clarification on the legal provision on which the government has drafted the ordinance and the financial implications of the move.

Opposition parties BJP and JD(S) have vehemently opposed the bill and urged the Governor to reject it.

The Governor’s move has come as a setback to the government. The ordinance sought to constitute three new local bodies in Bengaluru to replace the BBMP by amending the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act. The Opposition said the ordinance was aimed at delaying the polls to the civic body.

The government resorted to the ordinance route in the wake of a single judge bench of Karnataka High Court order to hold the BBMP polls before May 30. The government has filed a writ appeal against the order before a divisional bench which is set to take it up for hearing on Monday.

Hopes on division bench

Further, Jayachandra said the government is pinning its hopes on the HC divisional bench. “We will inform the court on our intentions and explain the need for three municipal corporations for Bruhat Bengaluru area. We hope the court will provide a relief and allow the government to go ahead with the process of constituting three new corporations,” he added.

He also noted: “This is perhaps for the first time an ordinance has been sent back to the government. There is no point in (re-submitting) it when the Governor has stated that he was not satisfied. Moreover, it will not be binding on the Governor to give his assent to the ordinance if the government sends it again.”

Asked what the government would do if the division bench of HC upholds the single bench order, the Minister said the government has no objection to conducting elections to the BBMP.

“In that case, the BBMP polls will have to be held. But then, elections may have to be conducted again within six months when the government constitutes new corporations replacing the BBMP,” he added.

Sources said almost all the ministers who attended the meeting advised the chief minister not to backtrack on the decision to constitute three new corporations. They also advised him to notify the draft ward reservation roster on April 13 if the court orders that the BBMP elections have to be conducted.