BBMP goes to polls on August 22, results on August 26

BENGALURU: After being pulled up by the high court, the State Election Commission (SEC) on Thursday issued calendar of events for the BBMP polls fixing poll date as August 22 and the notification for the same will be issued on August 3. The results will be announced on August 26. Voters can exercise their franchise from 7 am to 5 pm.

After the Supreme Court gave a breather of eight weeks from July 3, the SEC withdrew the calendar of events issued on June 25. Following an application by an activist Muralidhar, High Court directed the SEC to issued fresh calendar of events by July 17. The code of conduct comes into force from July 17 and will be on till August 26.

Candidates aspiring to contest elections can file their nominations from August 3 and August 13 is the last day for withdrawal. Re-election, if need, will be held on August 24. Sources in SEC said that as per the court directive notification has been issued and a copy of the same would be submitted on Friday. The SEC is prepared to hold the election, added sources.

City restructuring

According to reliable sources, final report on restructuring committee headed by B.S. Patil, proposing for Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) with five municipal corporation, is likely to be submitted shortly. There are possibilities of government approaching Supreme Court yet again to postpone polls, enabling the government to form GBA to address some of the issues dogging the city.

The issue of putting off the poll is still on cards for the government. It is said that the Supreme Court has asked the government to wait for the high court order on the BBMP polls. Meanwhile, in a clever move to avoid code of conduct, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah flagged off a slew of infrastructure projects worth Rs 1,066 crore.

Rs 1,066 crore worth projects get nod in time

In order to improve the infrastructure of Bengaluru, the Congress government is committed to restructuring BBMP to solve large issues such as garbage, traffic and others, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday.

Ahead of code of conduct coming into force Siddaramaiah flagged off a slew of infrastructure works worth Rs 1,066 crore. He said the city has grown leaps and bounds in the last 66 years. The government is committed to improve quality of life and civic amenities and after the select committee, headed by IT minister S. R. Patil, submits its report, the government will take steps towards restructuring BBMP, he added.

Some of the projects inaugurated were solid waste treatment plants at Seegehalli and Kannahalli, biomethanisation plant and waste market at Koramangala. He laid foundation stone for signal-free corridors at Outer Ring Road, Old Madras Road, BTM Layout to Hosur Road, multi-level car parking at Freedom Park and animal incinerator and a crematorium.

Claiming credit for these initiatives, he said it was for the first time projects worth several crore were flagged off in a single day. Once these projects are implemented the issue of traffic will be resolved to a great extent, he said. The city’s problem went beyond control after formation of BBMP by merging 7 CMC, 1 TMC and 110 villages, he added.

Civic poll: Karnataka High Court to hear PIL today

The Karnataka High Court is expected to hear on Friday, the PIL related to conducting of polls to BBMP. The court had posted the matter to Friday after it set the deadline to state election commission for the announcement of polls by Friday and report to it after issuing the new calendar of events by Friday.

Meanwhile, after the high court declined state government’s plea to hear it in advance, before the SEC announcing the new calendar of events, it had approached the Supreme Court seeking clarification on its judgment that BBMP elections should be held within in eight weeks. However, SC has just deferred the matter. With this, all eyes are on high court which is expected the matter on Friday.

The SEC is expected to place before the court the notification – which according to it the voting to BBMP polls is to be held on August 22.