BBMP polls: 72 lakh voters hold the key

BENGALURU: BBMP Commissioner G. Kumar Naik on Monday issued the notification for Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike elections, slated for August 22, and appointed 27 electoral registration officers and 63 assistant electoral registration officers for updating electoral rolls. Voters can exercise their franchise from 7 am to 5 pm on polling day.

As per the notification, the election model code of conduct that is in force since July 17 will come to an end on August 26. Counting will be on August 25 and the results will be announced the same day.

Electoral Voting Machines (EVM) will be used in the polls. As many as 9,309 control units and 11,635 ballot units will be used, Mr Naik said.The filing of nominations that began on Monday will end on August 10.

As many as 6,733 polling stations will be set up across the 198 wards, where 71.8 lakh eligible voters can exercise their franchise. Eligible voters can enroll themselves by submitting Form 6 along with the proof of address and photographs before August 10.

The forms can be obtained from the BBMP ward office or downloaded from the official website, www.bbmp.gov.in. The updated electoral rolls too will be updated on the official website.

According to the notification, one polling station will be set up for every 1,500 voters. Auxiliary polling stations will be established in places where the number of eligible voters is over 1,500. Three control rooms have been set up to help citizens during the elections.

For any poll-related queries, citizens can contact 080-22374740 (State Election Commission control room) or 080-22224748, 080-22221188 (BBMP control rooms).

BJP to announce first list today

With the Congress losing its bid to delay the elections, the BBMP elections are all set to be held on August 22. While the big three – the Congress, BJP and JD(S) – have gone into a huddle to shortlist their candidates, a couple of independents have filed nominations to try their luck in the BBMP polls.

Two independents filed nominations on the first day on Monday. B.V. Ramesh filed his nomination from Jayanagara ward, while another independent from Uttarahalli too filed nomination papers. Aspirants in all the three parties have been indulging in hectic lobbying to get tickets.

Former deputy chief minister R. Ashok, who has been made in charge of BJP’s poll preparations, told Deccan Chronicle that the first list of shortlisted candidates will be announced on Tuesday. All the party candidates are being vetted by ward and constituency presidents, apart from area MLAs and MPs, he said.

The BJP’s star campaigners for the polls include Jaggesh, Tara, Malavika Avinash, Ananth Kumar, Yeddyurappa, Sadananda Gowda, K.S. Eshwarappa, Jagadish Shettar and others.

The BJP has assured its senior corporators Padmanabha Reddy and M. Pari that they will be given tickets to contest from Kacharakanahalli and Bharatinagar wards respectively.
“We have drawn up strategies to counter our opponents. We are aiming at retaining the majority in the BBMP Council,” Mr Ashok said.

City in-charge minister Ramalinga Reddy, who is overseeing poll preparations for the Congress, said that meetings are being held at the constituency level and each MLA has been given a target of winning at least six seats in his constituency to gain control of the BBMP. “We have deputed observers across the city to survey the situation. They will give their reports to the District Congress Committee. The list will be announced on August 6 or 7,” he said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will chair the candidate selection committee. The JD(S), meanwhile, is holding meetings at the constituency level to zero in on the candidates. JD(S) state president and former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy himself is chairing these meetings, party sources said.

Staff crunch hits revision of electoral rolls

On one hand, BBMP Commissioner G. Kumar Naik says that officers have been appointed to ensure a widespread, error-free electoral roll registration process, but on the other, the Palike is facing a severe shortage of staff, which is preventing it from processing all the applications received.

Members of Whitefield Rising said that their volunteers have been trying hard to include more number of voters in the rolls to increase the voter turnout in the polls, but their efforts are going in vain.

Some of the volunteers are using their weekends to get the registrations done, but the BBMP officials have put a cap of three applications per person per day, making it cumbersome for the volunteers.

A BBMP employee said, “The applications supplemented with address and identity proofs have to be verified and scanned. If needed, spot inspections too have to be done. This is time consuming. Besides, we also have to finish our other office-related work.”

Some of the volunteers have collected over 100 applications from various apartment dwellers and other citizens. “Majority of the migrants have not enrolled for various reasons. The voter registration drive should be strong to see increased voter turnout,” said a member of Whitefield Rising.