Congress reeling under fear of losing polls, says Opposition

Taking serious exception to the State government challenging in the Supreme Court the High Court Karnataka order on holding Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) council elections, Opposition parties on Monday said this was a clear indication that the Congress was reeling under the fear of losing the polls.

“It is mainly the fear of losing the elections which has driven the State government to approach the Supreme Court on some pretext,” BJP MLC from Bengaluru Ashwathnarayan told The Hindu . This showed that even the city rounds taken up by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had failed to instil confidence in the ruling party, he said, adding that people would teach the Congress a lesson for its attempts to put off the polls.

The JD(S) termed the government move anti-democratic. “The conduct of the State government is suspicious, and it is setting a bad precedent,” JD(S) spokesperson Ramesh Babu said. AAP spokesperson Shantala Damle alleged the Congress government was bent upon postponing the elections. Its attempts reflected the anti-democratic attitude, she alleged.

Brijesh Kalappa, government’s legal adviser, told

The Hindu over the telephone from New Delhi that the government petition questioned High Court judge B.V. Nagarathna’s order imposing a fine of Rs. 10,000 on the government for wasting the court’s time. He said the petition seeks to undertake delimitation and reservation of wards based on 2011 Census data.

The conduct of the State government is suspicious, and it is setting a bad precedent

Ramesh Babu,

JD(S) spokesperson

Even the city rounds taken up by the Chief Minister have failed to instil confidence in the ruling party

Ashwathnarayan,

BJP MLC