BBMP Commissioner stays firm, mayor polls today

Bengaluru: Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa’s government is going to face the first test in the BBMP Mayoral elections on Tuesday. BJP sources claimed that they are sure of winning as they are just short of four votes to reach the magic number.

Putting an end to rumours that Mayorak elections will be postponed, Bengaluru Regional Commissioner Harsh Gupta, who did not bow to pressure to postpone elections, has clarified that the elections will be held on Tuesday as per schedule.

Except for the eight standing committees which have approached the High Court requesting a stay, elections will be held on Tuesday to the post of Mayor, Deputy Mayor and four Standing Committees - Health, Accounts, Market and Taxation and Finance.

Nominations will be accepted from 8 am to 9.30 am and will be verified by 11.30 am. Voting process will begin from 11.30 am.

Earlier on Monday, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa said in Shivamogga that Mayoral polls will be held in December along with Standing Committee elections.

The additional chief secretary of the Urban Development Department too wrote a letter to Regional Commissioner Harsh Gupta to postpone the elections. But Mr Gupta announced that as per the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976 elections cannot be postponed as the term of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor had ended and for no reason, it can be postponed and will be held on October 1 as per schedule.

The magic number to win the election is 129 and the BJP has 125 votes, which is four short.

The ruling JD(S)-Congress combine has 125 votes excluding the votes of seven independent corporators. The total votes of the coalition party came down by five with the disqualification of five legislators – Shivajinagar MLA Roshan Baig, Yeshwanthpur MLA S.T. Somashekar, K.R. Puram MLA Byrathi Basavaraj, R.R. Nagar MLA Munirathna and Mahalaxmi Layout MLA Gopalaiah.

“We are short by just four votes. Some of the independent candidates are willing to support the BJP. This apart, the disqualified MLAs and their constituency corporators are sure to support the BJP. We can easily ensure our candidates’ victory,” said a BJP source.

He said that some of the corporators in both the Congress and JD(S) have been openly supporting the BJP and they might abstain from voting, reducing the votes of the coalition. Kumaraswamy Layout ward corporator L. Srinivas, Karchakanahalli corporator Padmanabha Reddy and Govindrajnagar corporator Umesh Shetty are the frontrunners for the Mayor’s post.

State BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel is expected to announce the nominee after a meeting scheduled for 9 pm on Tuesday.