BBMP polls: Politicians connive and field spouses to retain wards

BENGALURU: When the state government announced the ward reservation list, it ensured that not many corporators from BJP contested from the same ward, which left them fuming. The Congress ensured that just over 20 corporators from BJP could contest from the same ward, out of 113 corporators and changed the ward reservation.

Following this, some corporators including former mayor S K Nataraj are fielding their wives as the corporator candidate, while others will be fielding their trusted aides and workers to ensure that the ward is retained with them.

Although Mr. Nataraj represented Sarakki ward, since the reservation has been changed he is fielding his wife from JP Nagar ward. Similarly, BJP corporators like B. Somashekar, Ramesh, B. V. Ganesh, Dhanraj, Vageesh, C. K. Ramamurthy have fielded their spouses. B. Somashekar from Shakhambarinagar and C. K. Ramamurthy from Pattabhiramanagar ward had approached the court, seeking timely election to the BBMP.

Since the reservation has been changed to women, these two applicants are fielding their spouses. “Let the Congress do all kinds of gimmicks. The BJP has the upper hand when it comes to urban voters. The BJP has done a good job in the last five years, ever since it came to power for the first time at the BBMP”, said sources. “We will fight the elections with the good and quality work done in our wards. We will actively campaign in the ward and seek votes in favour of BJP for better administration and good civic facilities.

The change in reservation will not affect us,” said a former corporator from BJP. N. R. Ramesh, former ruling party leader, who had exposed scams of some of the Congress leaders, lost his chance of contesting.

However, he has fielded his wife Poornima Ramesh. The BJP has decided to keep former mayors away from contesting BBMP polls. Former mayors S. K. Nataraj, D. Venkatesh Murthy, Katte Satyanarayan, Sharadamma and N. Shantakumari will not get a chance to contest BBMP polls.

The Congress is scared of the bright BJP prospects and worried about the Modi wave in the country. Which is why the Congress is resorting to all sorts of gimmicks to hold on to power
in the BBMP.

22 file nominations
 
As many as 22 candidates, including five from the Congress, filed their nomination on Wednesday. One BJP candidate and three from JD(S) also filed nominations, while 12 independents filed their papers.

Filing of nominations will gather momentum after August 7 when the Congress too announces its list of candidates. Former corporator A.H. Basavaraj from Banashankari ward will file his nomination on Thursday.