The Hindu : Row over main Oppn. status in BMP Council surfaces again

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 28, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

Row over main Oppn. status in BMP Council surfaces again

By Afshan Yasmeen

BANGALORE Nov. 27. The mayoral polls this time are also accompanied with a battle for the status of the main Opposition group in the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) Council.

The controversy over the recognition of a main Opposition group in the Council (BJP or JD-S), that started last year soon after the council was formed, is all set to make news again.

While the BJP won 15 seats in the November 11 polls, the JD (S) bagged 13. Later, the JD (S) strength rose to 17 after four independents joined the party. Both parties staked their claim to the main Opposition group's status.

But, Hombegowdanagar corporator D.Shaila (who won as an independent and joined the JD-S) resigned from the JD (S) on Monday bringing down the party's strength to 16. This is just one more than the BJP's.

Perhaps, it is for the first time in BMP's history that such a fierce fight is being witnessed between two political parties for the Opposition status.

Last year, unable to decide on the issue, the Mayor sought the opinion of the BMP's legal cell and even the Legislative Assembly Secretariat. In the absence of any specific provisions in the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (KMC) Act on the Opposition leader's post, even the legal cell could not advise him on the matter. After a series of meetings, the Mayor announced that leaders of both the JD (S) and the BJP would be recognised as Opposition leaders in the Council till the Assembly Secretariat gave its opinion.

Now, with the council already having spent a year without a single Opposition group, both the JD (S) and BJP members are only hoping that the outgoing Mayor, K Chandrashekar, will resolve the year-long deadlock before he hands over charge to his successor.

"How long can this go on. We will not keep quiet any more. The Mayor has to do something before he vacates his chair," said the JD (S) leader in the BMP Council, Syed Jameel Ahmed.

The Mayor, however, is silent about the whole issue. "I will leave it to my successor. Let it go on like this for some more time," Mr. Chandrashekar told The Hindu.

"When everything is clear, we don't know why the Mayor is not taking any decision. So what if the BJP is the single largest party in the council? Four independents have joined us and have even given letters of agreement to the Mayor. This has increased our strength. We are legally empowered to form the Opposition group in the BMP Council," the JD (S) members say.

On the other hand, the BJP leaders are determined to form the main Opposition. "We either want a status quo to be maintained on the issue or our party to be recognised as the main Opposition group. If the JD (S) is officially declared as the main group, we will protest and may even seek legal remedy," a senior BJP leader added.

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