In what is seen as a setback to the State government, the Karnataka High Court on Monday directed the State Election Commission to complete elections to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike by May 30.
Elections are to be held on the basis of the existing electoral rolls and delimitation of wards. If the State cannot fixing the reservation quota before the deadline of April 13, the SEC can proceed with the elections based on the existing reservation based on which last elections were held.
Justice B.V. Nagarathna passed the order while allowing petitions filed by a few councillors of the civic body demanding that elections be held before term of the present council ends on April 22.
The court said the State government cannot unilaterally divide the BBMP as proposed without getting the views of the council; and for this, the council should be in existence before the areas could be split.