From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Dec 4: In the second setback to B S Yediyurappa-led BJP government when the Karnataka high court thwarted the moves to delay the gram panchayat polls, the high court on Friday directed the state government that the elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) council will have to be held only for 198 wards ignoring the government’s notification of increasing the number wards to 243.

The high court directed the state government to publish final notification reserving the caste-wise reservation for 198 wards based on the draft notification issued in September.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice S Vishwajith Shetty delivered the verdict on separate PIL petitions filed by the State Election Commission (SEC) and two former BBMP corporators.

The high court directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to announce calendar of events for holding elections to the BBMP within six weeks from the date of publication of final reservation notification by the state government.

The state government’s efforts to delay the gram panchayat polls by citing the dangers of COVID-19 pandemic had also been thwarted by the high court.

The court also held that allowing application of amendment to the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act that increased number of wards to the BBMP would be contrary to the constitutional mandate of timely holding of elections to the BBMP.

The SEC itself had sought a direction from the court to go ahead with the process under way to hold elections to 198 wards ignoring the increase in the number of wards to 243 as such a process violates constitutional mandate of timely holding of elections to local bodies.

The state legislature in September this year hadpassed the Karnataka Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2020, for commencing the process of delimitation of wards in BBMP and increasing the number of wards in view of the increased population and areas under it.

A Joint Select Committee of the state legislature headed by BJP MLA S Raghu in its special report recommended amendment to the Section 7 of Karnataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) Act, 1976, to increase the number of wards from 200 to 250.

The KMC Act was a parent act for all City corporations in the state. By amending the Act, the BBMP would come out of the KMC Act.

The new proposed BBMP Bill sought to increase the number of wards from 198 to 250.