BBMP Polls: A challenge & Opportunity for Minorities
by Gabriel Vaz - Daijiworld Media Network Bangalore
(Author is former editor of The Economic Times, Bangalore)
Bangalore, Jun 23: AFTER delaying elections to Bangalore city corporation on one pretext or the other for almost three years, serious efforts are now underway to for holding them finally. If everything goes according to Karnataka High Court’s orders, the exercise should be completed by the end of July.
But, that is a big if. Considering the fact that there are too many imponderables, raising serious doubts about the conduct of polls, one need not be surprised if the High Court itself might be compelled to order postponement. Anyway, whether elections are held by next month or delayed by a few months, they may definitely be held by this year.
The term of the last elected civic body expired in October 2006. But the then H D Kumaraswamy-led JD(S)-BJP coalition regime sought to delay fresh elections through the ruse of expanding the jurisdiction of the civic body by merging seven city municipal councils and one town municipal panchayat along with 100 villages adjacent to the state capital to create Greater Bangalore. The geographical area of city corporation or mahanagara palike increased from 211.60 sq.kms. to 709.53 sq.kms to become Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the number of elected representatives was raised to 147 from 100 by amending the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976. The population jumped to 58,40,155. The consequent delimitation of wards and reservation besides restructuring of the administrative set-up resulted in postponement of elections.
The subsequent `divorce’ of the coalition partners and the inevitable political turmoil, including imposition of President’s rule, and last year’s assembly polls along with the just concluded lok sabha elections turned out to be the convenient excuses of conduct of elections. The intervention of the High Court and the final ultimatum to complete the exercise by July 2009, offered little room for procrastination. When it appeared that elections will finally be held, the B S Yeddyurappa-led BJP regime put a spoke in the wheels by increasing the number of wards from 147 to 198. Though the governor, Rameshwar Thakur, initially dithered, he finally promulgated the necessary ordinance to amend the KMC Act.
When the size of lok sabha and state legislatures has been frozen even after redoing the delimitation based on 2001 census, one fails to understand the rationale for increasing the number of wards in BBMP to 198 as the civic body would have to provide room for some 28 MLAs, 12 lok sabha and rajya sabha members, 11 MLCs as ex-officio members, 20 nominated members besides accommodating a large contingent of print and visual media and officials during the meetings. It is doubtful whether the existing building, which was recently rebuilt, will suffice or construction of another huge building becomes in evitable. In addition, the increase in the number of wards would lead to corresponding increase in staff strength. All this implies additional expenditure which could better be utilized in improving infrastructure and services
And the government, which gave an undertaking to the governor to adhere to the July-end deadline in order to issue the ordinance, has issued the draft notification on the delimitation of wards. Against the normal practice of allowing at least 30 days for filing of objections, the time-limit has been drastically reduced to 15 days till June 30. Incidentally, delimited wards provide for fixing the size of electorate in ward which will be around 30,000 in older or core areas and about 20,000 in newer or peripheral areas. After examining the objections and taking appropriate action for issue of final notification on delimitation, the government will have to notify reservation list of wards for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, backward classes and women. Even if the entire exercise is carried out post-haste, one can safely assume that it will be done by the second or third week of July.
The 28 assembly constituencies in and around the city which form part of BBMP will have wards ranging from one to nine. The constituency-wise break-up of the number of wards is: Yelahanka 4, Krishnarajapuram 9, Byatarayanapura 7, Yeshwantpur 5, Rajarajeshwarinagar 9, Dasarahalli 8, Mahalaxmi Layout 7, Malleshwaram 7, Hebbal 8, Pulakeshinagar 7, Sarvagnanagar 8, C V Raman Nagar 7, Shivajinagar 7, Shanthinagar 7, Gandhinagar 7, Rajajinagar 7, Govindarajanagar 9, Vijayanagar 8, Chamarajpet 7, Chickpet 7, Basavanagudi 6, Padmanabhanagar 8, BTM Layout 8, Jayanagar 7, Mahadevapura 8, Bommanahalli 8, Bangalore south 7 and Anekal 1.
Whether the State Election Commission, which has a new chief after the retirement of M R Hegde on June 20, would decide to go in for revision of electoral rolls allowing an opportunity for deletions, additions or corrections in view of the large number of complaints during the lok sabha polls or chooses to follow the rolls of parliamentary polls, conduct of polls by July-end seems doubtful. Another factor contributing to the uncertainty is the ordinance enabling use of electoral voting machines (EVMs) in the place of ballot papers necessitating purchase of news EVMs as those used for lok sabha polls need to be retained intact for some more time. Also, BBMP polls could be affected if Central Election Commission announces schedule for hold by-elections to five assembly constitutions, including Govindarajanagar, Ramanagaram and Channapatna in and around the city following resignation of the sitting MLAs after lok sabha polls.
More importantly, the government’s decision to increase to number of wards from 147 to 198, any complaints regarding violation of norms or irregularities in delimitation and reservation or disparity in the size of electorate in different wards could provide scope for legal challenges and possible court intervention leading to delays.
Notwithstanding these doubts, elections cannot be delayed beyond December even if they might not be held by next month for whatever reason. And, these elections provide an ideal opportunity for all citizens to choose their representatives. All political parties, especially the ruling BJP as also the main opposition parties of Congress and JD(S), have taken the elections not just as a challenge but an opportunity to wrest control of the civic body. After its spectacular victory in the just concluded elections, when BJP won three lok sabha seats in and around the city in Bangalore central, Bangalore south and Bangalore north leaving the fourth of Bangalore rural to JD(S), the stakes are too high for the ruling party. Significantly, BJP secured lead over its rivals in 22 of 28 assembly segments leaving the rest to Congress and zilch for JD(S).
But in civic elections with 20,000 to 30,000 voters, it is clear that political parties or affiliations do not necessarily matter. It is the candidates and their record of service and popularity that counts. Even people with no political backing or money and muscle power can win if they are able to muster popular support. In the backdrop of last year’s series of attacks against Churches and other places of worship belonging to Christians besides the growing intolerance against all other minorities, particularly Muslims, besides the rise of Hindu fundamentalist forces as also moral policing by various Sangh Parivar outfits after BJP’s rise to power in Karnataka, it is perhaps high time for Christians and other minorities to chalk out strategies to get better qualified and able candidates from among them and get them elected, who can espouse their cause and interest interests apart from acting as their representatives.
Why should these communities continue to remain at the mercy of major communities or political parties, whose interests, goals and objectives, may not always coincide with their respective needs and aspirations? It is certainly possible and eminently feasible for these communities to take the elections as a challenge and opportunity for choose the best candidates, rally behind them and win and influence people in our respective localities. The large number educational, healthcare institutions besides religious and social service organizations and capacity to network with progressive and broad-minded neighbours should certainly give additional strength.
Whenever BBMP polls are held or when revision of electoral rolls is taken up, it is necessary to ensure that names of all family members, relatives, friends and neighbours are included and subsequently ensure that everybody turns up to vote. As far as possible holding of family and social functions on the polling date must be avoided to ensure that nobody refrains from voting. Next, care must be taken to identify possible wards with reasonable prospects of victory and field suitable candidates who can appeal to neighbours too.
After all, given a polling of around 60 or a maximum of 70% (assuming a very high turnout) in a ward of around 30,000 voters, it is reasonable to expect a candidate who can muster 15,000 to 20,000 votes to win effortlessly. Given the fact that BJP, Congress and JD(S) will not spare any efforts for winning the maximum number of seats, which necessarily implies intense electoral battles in all wards, it is quite possible that a candidate who can mobilise even 10,000 votes should score an easy victory. Of the 198 wards, victory in some 25 to 30 wards or with concerted efforts and better electoral strategy even 50 to 60 seats should not be difficult.
Catholics or even all Christians put together, are a miniscule minority. Even if all minorities pool their energies and resources, it might be difficult or even impossible to send representatives to state legislatures or parliament. But elections to civic and local bodies are a different ball game, and it is certainly possible to take a stand, be counted and make a difference.
All that is necessary is to treat the ensuing BBMP polls, whether they are held in July or later in October or November, both as a challenge and opportunity.