State seeks six more months for BBMP elections

State seeks six more months for BBMP elections
Bangalore, Feb 8, DHNS:

The state government has cited reasons varying from water scarcity in summer to the upcoming pre-university examinations while seeking postponement of the elections to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike.

In an interlocutory application filed before the Karnataka High Court, the State Urban Development Department maintained that it needed time to notify the reservations by calling objections from affected persons and giving them reasonable opportunity.

The department informed the court that the polls will have to be deferred since the second PU examinations will be held between March 18 and 31 and thereafter between April 1 and 9 this year.

The application also cited the enumeration programme under Census 2011 as a hurdle for the polls, emphasising that the process was already underway. “The operations have already begun for preparation of National Popular register (NPR) and House listing (HLO), which is scheduled on April 15. Between March 1 and April 10 there will be three rounds of training for employees participating in the Census,” the application pointed out. The IA submitted that the months of April, May and June, normally witnessed power and water scarcities and these would make it difficult to conduct the polls. Among the myriad dates included was June 10 when schools in the City usually reopened.

On Monday morning, a division Bench of the Karnataka High Court lashed out at the State Government, when it cited several technical reasons that would prevent it from conducting the polls. “Why have you not filed the application seeking extension of time? Why this unnecessary circus? Both (State Government and State Election Commission) could have approached the court. You are embarrassing everyone,“ the Bench said.

When Additional Advocate General K M Natraj said that the State Government was yet to receive a copy of the January 28 order, the Bench said: “You could have filed an application. Till today you have not filed anything. We are not sure whether you will. We are not even aware of your stance.”
The matter was adjourned to Tuesday.