Bengaluru should have single mayor, who must be Kannadiga: Oppn

Bengaluru: The BJP-JD(S) alliance announced on Monday its decision to oppose the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, criticising its proposal to divide the city into multiple smaller corporations.

Both parties said Bengaluru should have a single mayor, regardless of tenure, and that the mayor should be a Kannadiga.

Opposition leader R Ashoka made the statement after V Ravichandar, a member of the Brand Bengaluru committee, presented an overview of the draft bill to BJP and JD(S) leaders.

The committee, formed by the Siddaramaiah government, spent 12 months working on the bill, though Ashoka noted that the version tabled in the legislature had been diluted.

"Nadaprabhu Kempegowda built Bengaluru. It should not be divided. Kannadigas have a sovereign right over the city, and the mayor must be a Kannadiga," Ashoka said.

He further argued that the lower levels of governance would weaken under the proposed bill, stressing that Bengaluru should have a single mayor, similar to how there is only one prime minister for the country and one chief minister for a state.

Ashoka added that the Opposition would communicate their stance to the government, urging that elections be held accordingly.

Ravichandar reportedly mentioned that only 83% of the committee's recommendations were included in the draft bill.