Bengaluru: A Single-Judge Bench of the Karnataka High Court, presided by Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee, on Monday, July 13 directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to announce the calendar of events for elections to BBMP before Friday July 17.

This was after a Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and Justice B.V. Nagarathna wondered why the SEC withdrew the notification issued on June 25 for holding elections on July 28 when there was no direction from the Supreme Court in this regard.

“The State government has taken the courts for granted, as it was making different submissions before the HC and the SC,” observed Justice Nagarathna. The apex court had only granted eight weeks for completing the election process from July 3 and it does not mean that the SEC could postpone the elections, the Bench said.

When approached by the Bench, SEC Counsel K.N. Phanindra contended before the Court that the notification was withdrawn following a Supreme Court order. Phanindra justified and said that the apex court had verbally told him that the code of conduct could not continue due to extension of time for concluding the election process and, hence, the SEC had withdrawn the notification.

The SEC handed over a sealed cover to the Court, which is said to have contained a tentative calendar of events. However, HC has ordered for the same to be announced before the end of July.