BBMP polls may turn out messy as state government yet to notify ward delimitation and women's quota

BENGALURU: The ensuing Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections might turn out to be messy with the Siddaramaiah regime sleeping over critical decisions such as delimitation of wards and, the roster (ward-wise SCST, OBC and women reservations). The five-year term of the present BBMP council is set to expire on April 22.

The Karnataka High Court is hearing a petition from two corporators who have sought the court's directions to hold polls. The case is coming up before the court on March 16.

Bengaluru city comes under the CM, and the Urban Development department under him is yet to notify the delimitation of the 198 wards, and revise the earlier roster on the basis of fresh delimitation. BBMP wards are highly uneven -some with as many as 90,000 voters while there are others with as few as 25,000 voters. According to sources, the BBMP and Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner's office did take up an exercise recently to fix the anomaly and reworked the contours of wards by pruning the size of large ones, and increasing the size of small ones. But the government is yet to take a view on it. BBMP polls, if it were to be held early , can't rely on the present structure of wards or roster. Since the 2010 BBMP polls, two significant things have changed: 2011 Census data is available now, and women's reservation has gone up from 33% to 50%.

In the past week, ministers, by their statements on BBMP polls, are conveying an impression that the ball is wholly in the court of the State Election Commission (SEC), and the government has very little to do with it. But the fact is the Siddaramaiah's office has to put the first decisive step.

The situation was no different in 2010 too, when BBMP council went to polls last time when BS Yeddyurappa was the CM. The SEC conducted BBMP elections on the basis of the old roster after the court ordered the government to hold polls. An election such as this is meaningful only if held on a revised roster as it would factor in many variables ­ like wards with largest presence of SCSTs reserved for candidates from the community .

SEC officials say they have no powers to carry out delimitation or roster exercise with BBMP wards because the power still vests with the government, and has not been delegated to the Commission. As for delimitations of panchayat institutions or roster, the government has delegated its powers to the Commission.

The impasse may not continue for long because of the unambiguous remarks made by the Supreme Court.In Kishan Singh Tomar case (2006), the apex court has held that the Election Commission cannot delay holding of elections to a municipal body unless there is a compelling rea son such as man-made calami ties or a natural calamity.