BJP protests government move to trifurcate Bengaluru civic body

BENGALURU: BJP's Karnataka unit today held a day long protest here against government's decision to trifurcate Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, the city civic body, and demanded that elections to it be held as per schedule.

The protest was led by state BJP Chief Prahlad Joshi, Opposition Leader in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar, Deputy Leader of Opposition and former Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka among several others.

After failing to get Governor's assent for an ordinance on trifurcation of city civic body, a one-day session of Karnataka legislature has been convened on April 20, when government is likely to bring in a legislation on the matter.

"If government had real intentions to develop Bengaluru, they had two years they could have done then....; what were you (government) doing for two years? You could have divided Bangalore," Ashoka said.

He said "today with fear of losing elections (BBMP), with an intention to postpone elections government is playing this trick of dividing Bengaluru."

The government's move has run into stiff resistance from the opposition BJP and JD(S) which see it as an attempt to delay civic body election.

Also, Karnataka High Court's division bench had on Wednesday declined to stay the single Judge bench's order to hold BBMP elections by May 30.

Asked what will be the party's stand during the one day legislature session, Ashoka said the BJP core committee meeting would decide its plan, whether to fight within the house or to boycott the session.

He also questioned the need for convening the special legislature session. "Is there a natural calamity in the state?" he asked.