The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : HC: Hold BBMP polls

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Thursday, Jul 03, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

HC: Hold BBMP polls

Staff Reporter

‘There is no reason for the Government to put off polls’

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday directed the State Government to hold within three months elections to the Bruhut Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Council.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph and Justice B.S. Patil passed the order on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition by the former Mayor P.R. Ramesh of the Congress.

Mr. Ramesh had urged the court to direct the State Government to expeditiously hold elections to the BBMP Council. He had contended that the then Government (headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy) had deliberately postponed holding of elections although it had notified elections to all other civic bodies.

He said that the elections could be held with the existing electoral rolls. The State had sought time saying that the revision of rolls was under way and that the integration of erstwhile town municipal councils and city municipal councils with Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) was under way.

The State had said that the electoral rolls would have to be revised and the constituencies (wards) redrawn following the merger of outlying areas with BMP leading to the constitution of the BBMP.

The Bench, which had reserved verdict on the case, said the Government had no justification in postponing polls as the electoral rolls had been revised.

Moreover, the notification postponing elections could not be justified.

The Bench directed the State and the Election Commission to ensure that elections to the BBMP were held within three months and disposed of the petition.

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