How to become a councillor

Anyone willing to shell out Rs 2 crore can reportedly get a BJP ticket to contest the upcoming municipal elections

How to become a councillor

Anyone willing to shell out Rs 2 crore can reportedly get a BJP ticket to contest the upcoming municipal elections

Sources told MiD DAY tickets were up for grabs for whoever was willing to pay a ransom.

The "fee" starts at Rs 50 lakh and goes all the way up to Rs 2 crore.

"The irony is that the Election Commission has fixed a ceiling of Rs 5 lakh on poll expenditure," said a BJP leader. " But a candidate has to spend crores even before he files his candidature!"u00a0

BJP ministers and MLAs are enjoying the windfall. They have a say in deciding candidates.

Old isn't gold

New wards on the outskirts of the city are considered lucrative because of the real estate factor.

Old wards have fewer takers, as they have little potential for real estate development.

"Where there is land and litigation, a corporator can make a fortune," said a source in the BJP.

Wards in and around K R Puram, Mahadevapura, Hebbal, Yelahanka, and Kengeri Satellite Town are coveted by aspiring corporators.

Hot property: A BBMP Council Hall (above) seat could be more lucrative than one in the assembly

Flush with cash

The Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM) fund, that has made Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) cash-rich, is another reason why so many are dying to enter the council.

"Earlier, a BBMP councillor would have been seen as a junior politician, but now he can make more money than an MLA," said the source.

So far, the urban development department has drawn over Rs 3,000 crore for the development of Bangalore, and it has the potential to take Rs 10,000 crore more.

Ministers' role

"A handful of city ministers are controlling the BBMP in the absence of an elected council," said the source.

"They are obviously worried about their prospects and are doing everything to delay elections."

The High Court has ordered the government to announce poll dates on or before October 23. It has set October 9 as the deadline for defining the wards.

Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is secretly trying to postpone the polls. He has called a meeting today where the government's best brains will apply themselves on ways to circumvent the order.

Corporators inc
>>Intervene in land disputes, take a cut to settle
>>Use their clout to grant municipal approvals
>>Take cuts on public work contracts like roads and bridges

The Other Side
Aravind Limbavali, higher education minister, who represents Mahadeva-pura in assembly, said, "There are some criteria to select a candidate, but it is not money power. Yes, I agree the elections are fought on money and muscle power these days. We are prepared to face the competition and that is why we are enquiring about candidates' financial background. That does not mean that we are asking for money from them or that we are selling tickets."

Limbavali, tipped to become state BJP president in December when Sadananda Gowda's term ends, has a say in distributing party tickets.

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