Quota rules for local body polls soon

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, MARCH 9. The Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. D.B. Chandre Gowda, today said rules will be framed soon on reservations in the urban local bodies, elections to which are to be held in April.

Replying to the matter raised in the Legislative Assembly during Zero Hour, the minister said that a five-member Cabinet sub- committee had been set up for the purpose. The rules would be framed according to the guidelines given, and the observations made, by the Karnataka High Court.

He said that as per the High Court's direction, notice for the elections had to be issued on March 13 and the elections held on April 19. The sub-committee was also studying the High Court order in this regard.

The Opposition members protested against the delay in framing the notification and alleged that the delay was deliberate.

Mr. Chandre Gowda, however, refuted the allegation and said the rules would be framed soon.

Raising the issue earlier, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Jagadish Shettar, welcomed the basis for reservations of wards for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, but felt the guidelines had certain lacunae and were not clear on the other backward classes.

He also sought to know if the code of conduct would not come into the picture if the State Election Commission were to notify the elections on March 13 when the State Budget was scheduled to be presented on March 26. He also asked whether the Government was going in appeal against the direction of the High Court.

Mr. P.G.R. Sindhia, JD-U Floor Leader, wanted early elections, but said the guidelines should be non-partisan.

The BJP member, Mr. A. Ramdas, who was the petitioner before the High Court, said that the rules were yet to be framed by the Government and objections and suggestions called for under the Karnataka Municipalities Act before elections were held.

Mr. Ramdas referred to three "inconsistent" affidavits filed by the Government before the court within 48 hours and said there were anomalies in the guidelines framed by the Government. He wanted rules to be framed so that the reservation did not exceed 50 per cent.

He also demanded that the Government withdraw its letter to the Election Commission in which the latter had been asked not to use electronic voting machines and not to impose a ceiling on election expenditure.

Mr. B.N. Bachche Gowda (JD-U) expressed apprehensions that the guidelines might result in reservations in excess of the prescribed limit.

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