Karnataka local body polls: HC gives 12 weeks for delimitation, reservations

The deadline to conduct the impending local body elections in Karnataka shifted yet again to twelve weeks after the High Court accepted the time sought by the state in the memo filed before it.

Published on: May 25, 2022, 10:32:56 IST

By Yamini C S | Edited by Chandrashekar Srinivasan

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The Karnataka high court has extended the deadline for the state government to hold local body elections, which include zilla and taluk panchayat polls and those for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The Basavaraj Bommai government has been given 12 weeks for a delimitation exercise and to prepare the reservation list for Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

The Karnataka High Court has extended the deadline for the state government to hold the impending local body elections in the state to 12 weeks. (PTI Image) (HT_PRINT)

The HC accepted 12 weeks sought by the state in the memo filed before it. The Supreme Court had ordered that all states and union territories in the country must hold pending elections to their local bodies within two weeks while hearing a case pertaining to Madhya Pradesh earlier this month.

Following the order, the state government was in a fluster as elections to BBMP, Bengaluru's local municipal corporation and responsible for the administration of the city, have been pending for almost two years. The earlier elected council's term expired in September 2020. The state government has cited reasons like redrawing of BBMP wards - from 198 to 243 - and giving reservation to OBCs for the delay.

The Karnataka State Election Commission (SEC) then filed a memo before the high court to hear a pending petition regarding the issue and submitted to the court that the state government had withdrawn the Election Commission's power on delimitation of constituencies and drawing up the reservation list. Without these the State EC was unable to announce the election schedule.

Later, the Supreme Court said necessary notifications regarding delimitation of wards and determining reservation percentage for OBCs in the BBMP should be notified in eight weeks. Even as the deadline went from two weeks to now eight, chief minister Bommai had said the government is exploring legal options to seek more time to conduct the much anticipated local body polls.

Bengaluru, known by its other names like the IT hub or the Garden City, is in desperate need of smooth governance and re-establishment of a structured leadership given its crumbling infrastructure.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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