Work on the delimitation exercise for the 243 wards has finally picked up pace. According to sources, the Supreme Court is expected to give its judgement on the case pertaining to the elections to the BBMP – whether to the existing 198 wards or 243 wards, as provisioned under the new BBMP Act, 2020 – sometime next month.
The Delimitation Committee has prepared a draft for 243 wards. Confirming the development, BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said the draft was not yet finalised. “We have sought some clarification from the district administration. Once the draft is finalised, it will be submitted to the government. The government will then take a decision and then issue a notification. After the notification is finalised, the State Election Commission (SEC) will then fix the election,” he said.
The confusion over holding elections to 198 wards or 243 wards arose after the government challenged the High Court of Karnataka’s order of December 2020 directing the SEC to hold polls to 198 wards within six weeks. The government had by then constituted a joint legislature committee that had batted for 243 wards by including gram panchayats in the 1-km radius outside BBMP limits. The BBMP Act, 2020, that provided for 243 wards was also passed.
In October 2020, the government also constituted the Delimitation Committee.
According to sources, MLAs of Dasarahalli, Yelahanka, Bengaluru South, Mahadevapura and Yeshwanthpur Assembly segments, whose constituencies extend outside BBMP limits, have batted for some already urbanised gram panchayats from their limits to be included in the BBMP. The committee is yet to decide on the different gram panchayats that have to be included in BBMP limits.
Sources said that clarifications have been sought from the Deputy Commissioner, Bengaluru (Urban) district, on population and extent of the GPs that have been recommended for inclusion in BBMP limits.
For instance, Somashettihalli and Chikkabanavara GPs that come under Dasarahalli Assembly constituency and Doddatoguru, Shikaripalya, Konappana Agrahara, Doddadasanapura and Mylasandra under Bengaluru South constituency are some of the GPs recommended to be included in BBMP limits. Similarly, Chikkanayakanahalli, Mallooru, Kachamaranahalli, Kannamangala under Mahadevapura constituency; Singanayakanahalli, Avalahalli, Ramagondanahalli under Yelahanka constituency; and Soolikere, Kumbalagodu, Ramohalli under Yeshwanthpur constituency have also been recommended.
“A decision will have to be taken on whether all villages under the recommended gram panchayats can be included or if some have to be excluded, as in many cases the gram panchayat limits go well beyond the 1-km radius around the BBMP limits,” the source said.
