The BJP, which hoped to buy time to pick its mayoral candidate by delaying the polls, got a major jolt on Monday when regional commissioner Harsh Gupta declared that the elections to the post will be held as planned.
Amid rumours that the state government was directing the regional commissioner to defer the polls, Gupta, citing special provisions under the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (KMC) Act, clarified that the poll for post of Bengaluru mayor and other standing committees will be held as announced on Tuesday.
The announcement sent all the three major political parties into a tizzy. The BJP was divided with three contenders for the post forcing its MLAs, MLCs, MPs and office bearers to meet late in the night to decide on the candidate.
In a bid to take on the BJP, which has a chance of grabbing the seat after four years in a changed political scenario, the Congress-JD(S) coalition named candidates for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor. Congress fielded R S Sathyanarayana, corporator from the Dattatreya Temple Ward (Ward No 77) under the Gandhinagar Assembly limits.
The JD(S), which would get the deputy mayor's post, picked Gangamma Rajanna of Shaktiganapathi Ward (Ward No 74) in Mahalakshmi Layout constituency.
Earlier in the day, citing a pending case pertaining to the election to various standing committees of the BBMP before the high court, the state government tried to defer the polls. However, citing special provisions under the act and a previous high court order, the regional commissioner ordered the state government to go ahead with the polls.
Of the 12 standing committees in the BBMP, eight committee members had approached the high court over the elections. Hence, the regional commissioner announced holding polls on Tuesday for the mayor and deputy mayor's post and four standing committees as planned earlier.
Sources in the BBMP revealed to DH that the filing of nominations will begin as early as 9 am. Elections will be held at 11 am in the BBMP Council Hall.
BJP worried
Faced with intense lobbying, BJP leaders representing Bengaluru met late into the night.
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, earlier in the day, in Shivamogga categorically said, "The officials have decided to hold the polls on Tuesday and we do not have any objections. Our party president will decide on the mayoral candidate."
The saffron brigade was wary about an internal rebellion scuttling its prospects of taking control of city's council after a hiatus of four years. Though Opposition leader in the BBMP, Padmanabha Reddy was seen as the front runner, his chances were reportedly threatened by Revenue Minister R Ashoka backed Vokkaliga candidate L Srinivas of Kumaraswamy Layout ward and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Ashwath Narayan supported Manjunath Raju from Kadu Malleshwara Ward.