BBMP elections: SC grants 4 weeks’ time for counter affidavits

The matter will be listed for the next hearing after all the parties submit their counter affidavits.

Monday’s hearing was held before the Supreme Court Registrar. Supreme Court advocate Sahil Tagotra, who represented the State Election Commission, sought time to file a reply. Sahil had filed a vakalatnama to appear on behalf of the State Election Commission but despite that his name was not reflected in the cause list. He sought four weeks’ time to file a counter affidavit.

Even VN Raghupathy, advocate on behalf of respondents M Shivaraju, Abdul Wajid and Ravi Jagan, and advocate Supreeta Sharanagouda on behalf of the Commissioner, State Election Commission, had not filed counter affidavits.

SC stay continues

The Congress party’s former corporators M Shivaraju and Abdul Wajid had taken up the issue in the Karnataka High Court, which had directed the state government to hold elections within two months. Subsequently, the BJP government challenged the HC order in the Supreme Court, which stayed the HC order.

Meanwhile, it is being said that the top brass in the Congress party have directed former party corporators to not pursue the case ‘very seriously’ in the Supreme Court. Though on the face of it, the Congress continues with its demand for early elections when it comes to speaking to the media, both the Congress and the JDS want the elections postponed.

Ward delimitation panel yet to meet

Earlier in January, the state government had constituted a ward delimitation committee to fix the boundaries of the proposed 243 wards. The four-member committee headed by BBMP’s Chief Commissioner has the Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) Commissioner as members, and its member-secretary is the BBMP Special Commissioner (Revenue). The committee is yet to meet on the issue of fixing the boundaries.