New Delhi, Jul 4 (DHNS): The Supreme Court on Friday granted eight weeks additional time to the Karnataka government and the State Election Commission (SEC) for holding BBMP elections.

The court, however, did not allow the request for carrying out fresh delimitation ofwards in accordance with the 2011 census.

The apex court had on May 5 granted three months time to the State government for holding the polls.

A three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice H L Dattu, which was about to dismiss the application filed by the State government, allowed the plea while reminding it of the assurance given on May 5 to hold the polls within three months.

“Earlier, your statement was recorded, we did not pass any order. You made the statement with eyes wide open. Now, you want us to modify our order. You want us to delete the order given by the single judge of the high court,” the bench, also comprising Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy, told senior advocate K Parasaran, who is representing the State government.

The contention

Parasaran contended that in public interest, the apex court can modify its order.

“We would not allow you to tinker with the order of the high court. We can't be revising our order. You could have asked at that time that it has to be done as per 2011 census,” the bench told counsel.

Senior advocate Abhishek M Singhvi, appearing for some councillors, submitted that people belonging to the SC/ST community will not get due representation if about 50 per cent increase in Bengaluru’s population since 2001 was not taken into consideration.

The counsel, appearing for the SEC, submitted that delimitation process would require at least three-and-half months and all polling stations would also have to be changed.

Senior advocate L N Rao, opposing the State government's contention, pointed out that the Election Commission had written a letter to the State government in 2013 for taking up delimitation work but it did not do anything.

Senior advocate Shyam Divan, representing the State SC/ST Commission, contended that there has been a huge demographic change between 2001 and 2011 which should be reflected through the delimitation of wards.

To this, the bench said, “We can't allow you to wake up at the last stage”. In the end, the bench, however, granted eight weeks additional time. The state EC has already announced the poll date for July 28.