Political parties gear up for Bengaluru civic polls 

Bengaluru

The State government publishing the ward reservations has paved the way for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections, and various parties, including BJP, Congress and JDS, have started preparing for the polls. 

Senior leaders of the BJP have held more than three meetings with the city leaders, including MPs, MLAs and former councillors, in the last month and started working on ground. “The BJP has a very strong ground presence in Bengaluru and the people know about the work the Union and State governments are doing for the people in Bengaluru through metro, infrastructure and other projects. We will detail all this through vision documents once the elections are announced. We have been preparing for the elections. Already, the party’s senior leaders have held three preparatory meetings with the city leaders. BJP national general secretary B.L. Santhosh also has held a meeting with the city leaders,” Bengaluru Central BJP MP P.C. Mohan told  The Hindu.

Despite being unhappy with the State government’s ward delimitation and ward reservation process, the opposition Congress has also started to prepare for the BBMP polls. KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar will be touring all the 28 Assembly constituencies and meet with party workers. 

On Sunday, Mr. Shivakumar held BBMP pre-poll preparatory meeting with party workers at the Bengaluru South Assembly Constituency. Speaking to The Hindu, a senior Congress leader said, “On the lines of the BBMP polls, the party will show its power at the upcoming ‘Freedom March’ event scheduled to be held on August 15 in Bengaluru. The party is planning to get as many people to gather at the event from all 28 Assembly constituencies at the Basvanagudi National College grounds.”

Mr. Shivakumar on Sunday claimed that the survey conducted by Congress says that it will win the civic body polls. “We have conducted a detailed survey in Bengaluru. People want a big change in the city. In the survey, we have found that we will win the BBMP elections,” he said.

Meanwhile, Janata Dal (Secular) has formed a BBMP election and manifesto committee. JDS’ Bengaluru City district president R. Prakash, said, “The JD(S) is also ready to prepare for the BBMP polls. The party is working with ground-level leaders to make the party strong and face the elections. We have announced BBMP election and manifesto committee.”

The Karnataka government, on August 3 in light of the directions by the Supreme Court of India on July 28, declared ward-wise reservations for the BBMP to facilitate the long-delayed polls. The number of BBMP council seats was increased from 198 to 243 following a recent delimitation exercise of wards on the basis of their population by the State government.