BJP protests against Greater Bengaluru Authority Act, calls it unconstitutional

The BJP delegation on Wednesday met the governor of Karnataka and submitted a memorandum related to the Greater Bengaluru Authority Act.

The BJP delegation on Wednesday met the governor of Karnataka Thaawarchand Gehlot and submitted a memorandum related to the Greater Bengaluru Authority Act, stating that the new law is unconstitutional and will weaken local governance in Bengaluru, as per an official statement.

The memorandum was mainly presented by the Leader of the opposition, KLA R. Ashoka, President BJP Karnataka B.Y. Vijayendra, and Leader of opposition KLC Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, who led the delegation. (PTI)

The Greater Bengaluru Authority Act aims to restructure the city's administration by creating seven municipal corporations under a single governing body, the statement said.

Further, as per the official statement, The BJP argues that this move goes against the 74th Constitutional Amendment, which ensures decentralized urban governance and protects the independence of local bodies. In the memorandum BJP mentioned that it will give more control to the state government over ward delimitation and elections will delay the democratic process.

The BJP leaders also raised concerns that the new system will make governance more complicated by introducing multiple layers of decision-making. They claim it will slow down the development of Bengaluru instead of improving it. Additionally, they claim that dividing the city into multiple corporations will impact Bengaluru's cultural identity and reduce the role of Kannada-speaking people in decision-making.

Another major concern highlighted by the BJP is financial mismanagement. They believe that creating multiple corporations will lead to an unequal distribution of funds and make it difficult to ensure fair development across all parts of the city. BJP also pointed out that similar attempts to divide municipal corporations in Delhi and Kolkata had failed, forcing authorities to return to a single governing body, the Statement added.

In their memorandum, the BJP urged the Governor to reconsider the Act and review whether it aligns with constitutional provisions. They requested that the government focus on improving the existing governance system instead of creating new bureaucratic structures.

The party also emphasized the need to protect Bengaluru's cultural heritage and ensure that governance reforms do not affect the identity of local communities.

The memorandum was mainly presented by the Leader of the opposition, KLA R. Ashoka, President BJP Karnataka B.Y. Vijayendra, and Leader of opposition KLC Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, who led the delegation, warned that if the Act is implemented in its current form, it could create serious administrative and financial issues for Bengaluru. They urged the Governor to intervene and prevent the law from coming into effect.