Elections to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), scheduled to be held on February 21, 2010, have been put off again. The term of the last elected Palike ended in November 2006, and the civic body is being administered by bureaucrats, not elected representatives, since then. Speaking with DNA, former mayor PR Ramesh underlines the need for a strong political will in the leadership, and argues that the present government appears to be lacking in that respect. The state election commission and the government, Ramesh says, cannot escape the blame for the lack of an elected civic body.
What do you think has caused the repeated postponement of civic elections?
The state government and election commission are responsible for the current situation. Multiple affidavits have been filed in the past by the government and the election commission. The court has given specific orders, and extended the dates for the conduct of elections. The government cannot seem to muster the political will necessary to conduct the elections, and there is no respect for democracy, the Constitution or the principle of representation of the people. The state government just does not want the local government to function independently. This government is able to control the day-to-day affairs of the corporation since there is no elected civic body. It is high time that democracy is restored, and that the governance of the Palike is conducted in the spirit of the Constitution.
Do you think that even the state legislators have been tacitly supporting the government in its bid to avoid BBMP elections for as long as possible?
Irrespective of which party is in power, if the government is one with a vision, it would conduct the elections and allow the Palike to be governed by the elected representatives of people. However, the repeated postponement of the elections shows that there is a problem with government policy in the matter.
Why are even the Bangalore city legislators not keen on the BBMP polls?
The mafia that operates in the government has not allowed the BBMP elections to occur. The government wants to directly govern the corporation, and this is why they do not want the elected representatives to take over.
How do you think political equations in the city would change if elected corporators take charge?
The corporators are workers at the grassroots. They are in touch with the everyday concerns of citizens, and they are best equipped to feel the pulse of the city. They are the real social workers, important links in the functioning of the government in urban areas. Elected representatives should be there to govern the city. Repeated postponement of the elections is tantamount to a breakdown of the Constitution.
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