Karnataka HC reserves its verdict on staying BBMP elections

Karnataka HC reserves its verdict on staying BBMP elections
Karnataka HC reserves its verdict on staying BBMP elections
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The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict on an appeal filed by the State government to stay the BBMP civic polls, reported Deccan Herald. A single bench had earlier ordered that the elections by held by May 30.Chief Justice  D H Waghela and Justice Ram Mohan Reddy who are heading the bench also ordered the State Election Commission(SEC) to not go ahead with the election process until the bench gave its verdict on April 24.The counsel for the government, Advocate General Kumar argued that they government was willing to conduct election within six months and was previously denied 'suffcient opportunity to make its submission before the single judge,' said the report.The counsel explained that restructing the BBMP was necessary since there was wardwise disparity in populationn which needed to be rectified. Questioning the counsel, the bench asked, “You dissolved the Council, so that you can get six months time to hold elections?” said Justice Reddy. He pointed out that the elections could be postponed only when there is a calamity and the BBMP's current state was a man-made calamity.Advocate for the SEC, K N Phanindra, told the bench that 'once the process of elections was set in motion, not even the court could stay or stop it, as per the Supreme Court orders.', reported the paper. “It (the election process) has commenced already. The SEC has held a meeting of the officers to conduct elections and appointment of returning officers has been done. The elections have to be completed as the process is set in motion," the report quoted the counsel.Meanwhile, Sajan Poovaiah, the counsel for Namma Bengaluru Foundation told the courts that allowing the appeal would set a precedent for successive governments to dissolve the BBMP and find excuse to postpone elections.

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