BBMP elections: SC stays Karnataka HC’s order

New Delhi/Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court order which had directed that Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections to 198 wards should be announced within six weeks, has been now stayed by the Supreme Court.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde also issued notice to the State Election Commission and the petitioners before the High Court M Shivaraju, Abdul Wajid and Ravi Jagan.

“Permission to file the special leave petitions is granted. Issue notice. Until further orders, there shall be a stay of operation of the impugned judgment(s) and order(s) passed by the Karnataka High Court,” the order said.

The High Court had on December 4 upheld the validity of the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Third Amendment Act, 2020 which had raised the number of wards in Bengaluru city from 198 to 243.

The amendment was challenged before the High Court which upheld the same but held that it will not apply to elections of those corporations where elections had become due prior to the coming into force of the amended provisions.

“The High Court has directed the state to conduct elections in a manner which is contrary to a validly and unanimously enacted piece of legislation,” the petition filed by the Karnataka government said.