BBMP division: Congress draws up strategy

Bengaluru: Moves to trifurcate BBMP are in full swing with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and a section of city legislators holding a series of meetings to chalk out a strategy prior to the actual trifurcation of the prestigious civic body.

The Karnataka High Court decision to cancel a single bench order that the BBMP polls should be held by May 30, has come as a shot in the arm for Congress leaders who can now go ahead with plans to divide BBMP.

Mr Siddaramaiah and city leaders reportedly discussed three strategies to wrest BBMP once it is trifurcated. The assets and liabilities will have to be distributed equally to prevent any of the three parts from becoming financially unviable. Secondly, city legislators demanded that the majority of the director and member posts in state-run boards and corporations be filled with Bengaluru based leaders and lastly, an exclusive special package be announced not only to cater to the core areas of BBMP but also the 110 villages that lack basic amenities.

Apart from this, the leaders demanded that the state government ensure that a revised reservation list for wards be announced which would be helpful to ensure party candidates’ victory. The government should also expedite the process of completing the inquiries into every scam that took place during the BJP’s five year tenure in the BBMP, they said.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader disclosed that Mr Siddaramaiah was more concerned about setting up revenue generating modules for all three parts. “The man who has presented 10 state budgets, knows how to do this effectively. He is planning the civic body division into three parts taking every penny into account. Assets and liabilities will be distributed equally, apart from this, the special package will lay emphasis on underdeveloped areas rather than developed ones. He is likely to balance the haves and have nots,” the source explained.

Apart from this, the meeting also witnessed city legislators demanding that a large chunk of appointments in state run boards and corporations be reserved for city leaders.
“This would work as an incentive for them. Even though we have appointed chairmen for all the state run bodies, we are yet to complete the process of appointing directors and members to all these bodies. In any case, the duration of the incumbent chairmen is just 18 months, Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah can fill the remaining posts in these boards and corporations with leaders from Bengaluru,” the source claimed.

“We can counter the BJP strategists, by keeping the scam issues alive, we can always keep the BJP under check,” the source added stating that leaders felt it was inevitable to keep the BJP on the back foot.