The government’s move of dissolving the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) council and appointing an administrator instead of conducting elections immediately has been slammed by civil society groups and elected representatives cutting across party lines.
D.S. Rajashekhar, president of Citizens’ Action Forum, said that the government had no respect for the voters. “What is the need to postpone the elections? When the Congress has not yet fulfilled promises made in its manifesto, what is the hurry to trifurcate the BBMP?”
The fear is that the irregularities in the BBMP will increase in the absence of the council. Senior councillors, on condition of anonymity, told The Hindu that the move is against the spirit of the 74th constitutional amendment.
Former councillor Padmanabha Reddy said the move will not help citizens in any way. “When the council was in place, citizens could at least get their grievances heard by the local councillors,” he said.
Former Congress councillors admitted that the city cannot be managed by a single administrator. The problems of the BBMP began during the previous administrator’s tenure. “How many citizens will be able to meet the administrator or commissioner? With no council in place, problems of the people are likely to increase,” a former Congress councillor said.
The opposition BJP termed the move as a “dubious method” by the Congress to put off polls.
