Illegal hoardings that had disappeared during the election season have come up all over Bengaluru.
Despite a ban, a majority of these posters have been erected by supporters of the newly-elected MLAs with congratulatory messages. In some places, posters have also been installed in support of chief ministerial aspirants.
In August 2018, the High Court of Karnataka ordered a ban on all types of hoardings, flexes and banners in Bengaluru. Following this, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) passed a resolution in support of the court order. The civic body, however, failed to implement its own resolution and the court order.
On Sunday, political flex boards were erected in different parts of the city. On Palace Road, where the Congress is holding its legislature party meeting at Shangri-La Hotel, party workers have installed posters in support of Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar, two prominent contenders for the chief minister’s post.
BJP workers have installed hoardings near Indiranagar Junction.
Installing hoardings is illegal as per the Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act and manufacturing such material is also illegal as single-use plastic is banned in the state. The court had recently taken the BBMP officials to task for going soft on violators.
Deepak R L, Special Commissioner (Revenue), BBMP, who is in charge of removing illegal flexes, did not respond to phone calls seeking comment.