Legislators have reached a stalemate regarding the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) polls. The administrative body has been without an elected council since September 2020.
Why it matters: While the original delay took place due to late completion in the delimitation of 243 wards, the elections are now getting pushed over confusion around the OBC quota.
Following orders: The Supreme Court has told states to go ahead with their civic polls without an OBC quota due to a lack of empirical evidence about population figures. The point of it is to keep the number of reserved seats within the 50% limit. Former CM Siddaramaiah and other BJP leaders agree that the polls must not be held without proper seat distribution.
- Possible solution: On Thursday, a delegation of OBC leaders met with BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel to discuss the polls. The delegation pitched the idea of reserving 27% of the BBMP seats for OBCs and just getting on with it.
Another rift: The Congress, once again, seems divided as some of its leaders proposed the 27% quota to the state government, while Ramalinga Reddy and his delegation want to hold the polls.