BBMP polls likely to be held between June-August
Bengaluru: The long-pending elections for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) are expected to take place between June and August this year and the state government is reportedly making necessary preparations for the same.
The term of the previous BBMP council ended in September 2020, but elections have not been held yet. Former Congress councillors Abdul Wajid and M. Shivaraju had approached the High Court to push for quicker elections. However, the State Election Commission (SEC) cited pending ward delimitation and reservation finalisation as reasons for the delay, as reported by The Hindu on Wednesday.
The High Court had directed elections for 198 wards in 2020, but the government later expanded this number to 243 under the BBMP Act of 2020. A Supreme Court stay allowed the BJP-led government to proceed with the new wards. After a change in government in 2023, the number of wards was revised to 225.
Later, the government introduced the Greater Bengaluru Governance (GBA) Bill, 2024, which allows for the city’s civic body to be split into multiple corporations. A committee is reviewing the Bill, with its report expected by the end of this month.
Sources in the government told the publication that MLAs across party lines are split over the polls. While some MLAs were previously against holding elections, fearing it would shift power to councillors, others now believe the council is essential for smooth governance in the city.
Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy stated that the government is eager to pass the GBA Bill in the next Assembly session. “Once the Bill is passed, it will be sent to the Governor for assent. We are hopeful that the Bill will sail through. Under the GBA the BBMP will be split into multiple corporations and the elections will be held,” he was quoted as saying by The Hindu.
Reddy added that the state government is contemplating holding polls between June and August.
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Illegally stored gas cylinders seized
Thane (PTI): Authorities have seized illegally stored 1,839 gas cylinders and seven vehicles worth over Rs 67 lakh in the Dombivli MIDC area of Thane district, officials said on Saturday.
A special vigilance team of the Mumbai Rationing Department detected an illegal storage of domestic and commercial LPG cylinders in Phase-2 of Dombivli (East).
Cylinders belonging to multiple gas agencies were found stockpiled in closed vehicles, unauthorised warehouses, and open sheds without mandatory permissions from the Explosives Department, Fire Department, or oil companies, according to an official release.
