Ward delimitation: BJP afraid of losing BBMP polls, says Cong

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

Congress leaders including B.K. Hariprasad, Ramalinga Reddy, Krishna Byre Gowda and Rizwan Arshad took part in a protest on Thursday at Freedom Park against the new delimitation of BBMP wards and distribution of reservation quotas.

The party had planned to march in protest from Freedom Park to the Chief Minister’s residence on Kumara Krupa Road. However, the protesters were detained by the police and taken away in buses from Freedom Park.

Krishna Byre Gowda accused the ruling BJP of being cowardly. He dared the BJP to contest BBMP polls after drawing the ward boundaries correctly and distributing quotas in a just manner. “The BJP is afraid of losing elections and hence has framed unjust delimitation and reservation list,” he said. “Women must be given justice. We are protesting to ensure this,” he added.

The MLA from Byatarayanapura Assembly Constituency also took to Twitter to condemn the BJP. “BJP has no courage to face the BBMP election directly. That’s why they are trying to use the il[1]legal reservations route to hijack another institution. To grab power they can go to any extent. Congress party will not sit idle, this injustice must end,” he tweeted.

HC asks petitioners to approach SC

 The State Election Commission’s advocate submitted that BBMP elections need to be held soon and that the discrepancies could be addressed before the next election. The commission is a responder in the High Court case pertaining to the reservation in BBMP wards.

 The single-judge bench of Justice Hemant Chandangoudar adjourned the hearing to August 29 after orally instructing the petitioners to approach the Supreme Court.

 The matter is up for hearing  in the apex court on August 26.