Monsoon session: BJP to raise BBMP split, tunnel road plans in Bengaluru | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: BJP has stepped up its opposition to the proposed tunnel road project and the plan to divide BBMP into five municipal corporations. Party MLAs from Bengaluru met in the city Saturday to chalk out a strategy and announced plans to raise both issues in the upcoming legislature session.The meeting was chaired by the opposition leader in the legislative assembly, R Ashoka, and BJP state president BY Vijayendra. Speaking to reporters, Ashoka accused the Congress govt of pursuing the BBMP split for electoral gains. “The division of BBMP is being carried out solely to ensure the Congress party’s electoral victory and not for the city’s development. We are opposing the plan to divide Bengaluru into five corporations. This is harmful to the interests of the city. In the future, one corporation may end up fighting with another,” he said.He added BJP had already approached the judiciary. “Petitions have been filed in both the high court and Supreme Court.”“Congress knows that if BBMP continues to remain in its present form, it cannot win elections. So, they are pushing for its division. They have imposed taxes on everything and are hoping to win at least two corporations and showcase it to (Congress MP) Rahul Gandhi,” he added.Ashoka also alleged irregularities in the tunnel road project. “We don’t object to the concept of a tunnel road. But they have allowed a dubious company to prepare the DPR. The company was caught copying details from another project and fined Rs 15 lakh. After this, the company should have been blacklisted, not given further responsibility worth Rs 7-8 crore.”He warned, “Metro is already being constructed underground in Bengaluru. If a tunnel road is built beneath it, it could compromise safety.”Echoing Ashoka’s views, Vijayendra said, “Projects like the underground tunnel road and the division of BBMP into five are not in the best interest of the city. Similar experiments in cities like Mumbai have failed. BJP will continue to oppose it.”He also highlighted concerns over housing approvals. “Thousands of houses are ready for housewarming, but NOCs have not been issued. We held a detailed discussion on it today,” he added.