From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Jun 25: After the inordinate delays and the intervention of the Karnataka High Court and the Supreme Court, the long-delayed elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will finally be held on July 28 and the counting of votes will take place on July 31.

The BBMP elections will be a prestigious battle for the ruling Congress party in the State and the opposition BJP, which was in control of the outgoing body that was dissolved by the Siddaramaiah regime a day before the expiry of its term.

With Karnataka’s State Election Commission (SEC) chief P N Srinivasachary announcing the calendar of events for holding the BBMP polls in Bengaluru on Thursday, the model code of conduct has come into force with effect.

The Supreme Court had directed holding of BBMP elections within three months after the Stare Government had sought to defer it on grounds of bifurcating the civic body.

Opposition BJP and JD(S) parties had mounted pressure on the State Government over its dilly-dallying in holding the elections in one pretext or another, and had termed the Congress Government’s move for bifurcation of BBMP as an attempt to put off the polls as the ruling party was unsure of its victory.

As the matter went to High Court and later the apex court and the State Government failing to get any relief from both and with both the courts directing holding of elections, the Siddaramaiah regime had no alternative but to fall in line.

The code of conduct has come into force with immediate effect and will apply to BBMP limits. It will be in place till August 1, the State Election Commission announced.

While the elections to the 198 wards of BBMP will take place on July 28, counting of votes will be taken up on July 31. The process of filing of nominations will start on July 8 and end on July 15.

The total number of polling stations for the BBMP elections will be 6,733 for 71,22,165 voters, the Commission said, adding that Electronic Voting Machines would be used for the polls.

Congress, BJP express confidence of victory

Meanwhile, State Congress party chief Dr G Parameshwara exhuded full confidence about Congress coming to power in BBMP and asserted that it is an opportunity for the people of Bengaluru to free city from misrule and corruption by BJP.

The Congress party is fully prepared for the BBMP polls and we will contest all the 198 seats," he declared.

Welcoming the announcement of elections, BJP said the party will contest all the 198 seats and will repeat the performance of 2010, when it gained control of the corporation.

"We hope the State Government will not play any mischief further to scuttle the polls," the BJP said adding: "We are confident that the people of Bangaluru will once again support BJP in BBMP polls."

BBMP Polls might affect Legislature debates

Karnataka State Legislative Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy, who addressed a separate news conference on the eve of the State Legislature Session commencing at Belgavi’s Suvarna Soudha from Monday, said the enforcement of model code of conduct in the wake of declaration of BBMP polls is set to come in the way of discussion of issues related to development of Bengaluru city in the ensuing monsoon session of the State Legislature.

Shankaramurthy said discussion on issues related to development of Bengaluru would not be allowed in the forthcoming session as the government was not supposed to make any new announcements for Bengaluru in the wake of the clamping of model code of conduct.

However, any emergency issues, or those related to law and order could be taken up for discussion in such a way that there is no violation of model code of conduct during the course of discussion, he stated.