Congress questions BBMP ward list, Bommai hits back

BENGALURU: The Opposition Congress on Friday accused the government of ignoring social justice and preparing the BBMP ward reservation list with the sole objective of helping candidates from the ruling BJP. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, however, defended the move, saying it was done as per the rules, and slammed Congress for protesting inside Vikasa Soudha on Friday.

KPCC president DK Shivakumar said the list has to be prepared according to the population and keeping in mind social justice, but it was not done. The government prepared the list to help BJP candidates and has done injustice to women, SC/STs and backward classes, he charged.

While Shivakumar said they will fight it legally, party MLAs from Bengaluru staged a protest at the Urban Development Department office inside Vikasa Soudha. The Congress leaders accused the department of working like a BJP office and put up a board, “BJP office”.

Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy said the government ignored over 3,000 objections, he said. He said that in his Assembly segment, out of nine wards, eight are reserved for women. In the Jayanagar Assembly segment, out of six wards, five have been reserved for women. In the Gandhi Nagar Assembly segment, all the seven wards have been reserved for women and in the Chamarajpet Assembly segment, five out of six wards are for women. Out of the 65 general wards, 49 are in the Assembly segments represented by Congress MLAs, he said. “Of the 87 wards in the Assembly segments represented by Congress MLAs, 67 are reserved for women,” he said and urged the government to withdraw the list.

Responding to Congress allegations, Bommai said the list was prepared as per the rules. “Congress members have the time to either file objections or go to court. Congress has displayed ‘rowdysim’ by protesting inside Vikasa Soudha. Congress leaders should also introspect what they had done when in power,” he added.