Extend our term if polls are delayed: Bengaluru Corporators

BENGALURU:A BJP-Congress tug-of-war has started in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) with the BJP-ruled Council passing a resolution yesterday, urging the government to extend their term if polls are postponed.

The term of the present BBMP council, with 198 corporators, ends April 22. But the four-member committee formed to restructure the “unwieldy“ BBMP is expected to submit its final report only by June, leading to speculation that polls may be delayed till after the government acts on the report's recommendations. Several BJP corporators supported the resolution moved by Kacharakanahalli corporator Padmanabha Reddy.

Those in the Opposition Congress argued that it was premature to conclude that polls would be postponed.“When both the chief minister and urban development minister have asserted that polls will be held, why are we discussing this?“ leader of opposition N Manjunath Reddy said. But BJP corporators said extension of their term was in the interest of Bengaluru.Stiff opposition from senior Congress corporators, who said it is against the Representation of People's Act, could not deter the BBMP council from passing the resolution.

Hoardings no more

The BBMP council also resolved that any advertisements, including those on private properties, residential terraces, malls and other commercial buildings, should be removed. No permission will be given from now on to erect hoardings or billboards.

The civic body was under fire from the High Court, Lokayukta and civil society groups all lambasting the BBMP for allowing the city to be disfigured.

The decision to rid the city of billboards, banners, flexes and other advertising material is expected to save trees, which were indiscriminately cut to ensure better display for advertisements.Not only has the BBMP decided to stop issuing permits for advertisements, commercial establishments have been instructed not to put out anything in front of their premises except a single sign board with its name and address.