Karnataka HC directs SEC to conduct BBMP polls by Dec 31
Bengaluru, Sep 30: The Karnataka High Court on Friday set aside the reservation list for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) announced by the state government in August this year and directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to conduct elections to the civic body by December 31.
The court directed that a fresh list has to be prepared before November 30.
The government announced the draft list on August 3 and notified it on August 16. Several petitions were filed in the HC challenging this notification.
The HC partly accepted the contentions of petitioner K Mahadev and others from Ejipura.
The court found errors in the reservation provided in the OBC and women's categories. However, the reservation for SC/ST candidates was found to be in order.
Before the HC's order, Additional Advocate General Dhyan Chinnappa submitted an affidavit prepared by H S Shivakumar, the Under Secretary of the Urban Development department.
The affidavit sought 16 weeks to redo the reservation list. The HC, however, granted only eight weeks for it.
The HC also directed that the state government provide all data necessary for preparing the reservation list to the Justice (retired) Dr Bhaktavatsala Commission within one month.
While the petitions were disposed of, the HC is slated to check the action taken on the order on November 30.
The HC, in September 2020, had ordered the elections to the BBMP to be conducted.
The state government approached the Supreme Court and obtained a stay on this order.
Earlier in May this year, the Supreme Court, while hearing the case between Madhya Pradesh and Suresh Mahajan, directed that elections to all local bodies pending in the country should be conducted without any delay.
Subsequently, the SEC approached the HC to hear its earlier plea against the state government taking over its powers of ward delimitation and reservation.
In the meantime, the government announced the reservation list and completed the delimitation.
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UDF will have huge win in Kerala, NDA won't open its account: Cong leader Satheesan
Kochi (PTI): Senior Congress leader V D Satheesan on Friday expressed confidence in a huge win by the UDF, claiming it will make a clean sweep in five districts, and brushed aside speculations that the NDA will open its account in Kerala.
Satheesan, speaking to reporters here a day after the conclusion of the Assembly polls, praised the performance of the UDF leaders and workers during the election, saying it was the best ever he has seen in the last 30 years.
He said that his claims of the UDF getting over 100 seats is not a mere statement, but based on the work the front has done during the last five years to bring back all those who had left it in 2005 and as a result, there was a huge wave in its favour in the state.
The leader of opposition in the state assembly, who contested from the Paravoor constituency, further said that the Congress-led front also had a major social backing from minorities and marginalised groups in the society.
Besides that, there was an anti-incumbency feeling among the people who were disappointed with the LDF rule, he claimed and said that the UDF provided them with a hope and an alternative which no other opposition had done in the past.
"All these factors will contribute to a huge win for the UDF and it would not be surprising if we make a clean sweep in Malappuram, Wayanad, Ernakulam, Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts. That is a total of 43 seats," he said.
According to him, the polling percentage increased because the UDF got people added to the electoral list.
He also brushed aside the LDF remarks about a woman or youth CM, saying that "they can make such statements now as they know they cannot win".
"Otherwise, why did they campaign with Pinarayi Vijayan as the main factor. Why did they say a third Pinarayi rule will come?" he asked.
He also claimed that the LDF's decision to spend government money on its political campaign, by putting up hoardings and carrying out social media programmes to sway voters, has also backfired as people realised that their taxes were being wasted like that.
Asked whether the NDA will open its account, especially in areas where the UDF claimed the BJP-led front had made a deal with the LDF, Satheesan replied in the negative.
He said that as of now he does not see any chance of the NDA opening its account in the state.
