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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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
