Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy claimed a rift between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar regarding the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) elections. Kumaraswamy accused Siddaramaiah of pushing for the polls, while Shivakumar allegedly sought their postponement.
Kumaraswamy criticized the state government for attempting to delay the GBA elections until September, citing reasons like the ongoing census exercise. He suggested that Siddaramaiah aimed to strengthen his political position through the elections, whereas Shivakumar feared it could jeopardize his chances of becoming Chief Minister.
The State Home Minister, G. Parameshwara, expressed the government’s desire to conduct the Bengaluru civic body elections promptly but emphasized the need to address procedural issues first. The Karnataka State Election Commission has sought a 90-day extension from the Supreme Court to hold the long-overdue Bengaluru civic polls.
