BBMP polls: A make or break election for Congress party

Bengaluru: With the State Election Commission setting polls dates for the BBMP for July 28, the Congress bigwigs in Delhi have made it clear that it is the responsibility of state Chief Minister Mr Siddaramaiah and KPCC chief Dr G. Parameshwar to jointly strive to win this election as it sets the stage for future control of 28 assembly seats and four parliamentary seats in the city.

With the announcement of elections to BBMP polls, the political activity is bound to gain momentum in the city. Unlike the recent gram panchayat polls, the BBMP elections has all the ingredients that an Indian election should have: money, prestige, party symbol and high voltage churning among citizenry over the futility or success of participatory democracy.

It is precisely for this reason, the elections are very crucial for the ruling Congress than the opposition BJP or JD (S), which has no strong base in the city. In cricket parlance, this election for Congress party is like Indian team winning an overseas series. Last time the Congress party won the BBMP election was in 2001 that too in its smaller avatar. So by any yardstick of poll performance, this long period is considered to be disappointing.

Then why is this one corporation election is so important for the ruling Congress? Among the very few states that the Congress party has in its kitty, Karnataka is the lone big state. AICC President Sonia Gandhi, who visited state twice in the recent past, had advised the chief minister to focus more on Bengaluru. This clearly reflects the importance that the party central leadership has given to the city.

Since Bengaluru has an international appeal, a victory or defeat in the local body elections here is considered a prestige issue even at the national level. It was here, former chief minister S.M. Krishna made name, so incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah cannot take the elections lightly. Many Congress leaders privately concur with this view.

Since 2006, the party could not recover its ground in the city be it corporation, assembly or Lok Sabha elections. In the 2008 assembly elections, the party won 12 assembly seats out of the 28 in the city and in 2013, during the anti-BJP wave, the party could increase its tally by only one more seat. Similarly the party’s performance in the Lok Sabha polls has been poor. Both in 2009 and 2014 it drew a blank in the three Lok Sabha constituencies in the city.

In 2010, the party won 67 wards of the 198 in the city. Considering the difficult challenge they have, the party reportedly decided not to make any second rung leaders in-charge of this elections. Sources in the party said that Mr Siddaramaiah and KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar would jointly strive to win this elections. “Generally the party which governs the state will win local body elections. So, in spite of previous elections going against us, this one will come back to us,” observed many Congress leaders. They claim that since Congress is in power in State, it can manage the resources.

The only downside to the Congress campaign is CM Siddaramaiah’s known anti-industry and anti-city stance, despite his attempt at damage control by touring the city six times in the last two months and announcing several hundreds of crores for city development. Congress leaders in the city are hoping it will not be too little, too late.

Polls on July 28, new Palike by July 31

The State Election Commission (SEC), has announced the calendar of events for the delayed BBMP poll on Thursday, and declared that the election is scheduled for July 28. The SEC commissioner P.N Sreenivasachary said that the results of the election will be announced on July 31. With the announcement of the schedule, the model code of conduct comes into force with immediate effect, the SEC said. He said, “The code of conduct will be in force till August 1. The code of conduct will apply within BBMP limits only.”

BBMP will be split in 5 anyway?

As the B.S Patil Committee prepares to submit its final report on the BBMP restructuring, the future of the report hangs in the balance with the BBMP going for polls in a month. Amid reports that CM Siddaramaiah will trifurcate the city much against the committee’s recommendation of three-tier system, it has emerged that the committee has proposed five Palikes headed by five mayors. Whither BBMP after the poll?