BJP sets up teams for Bengaluru civic elections

Bengaluru: BJP has set up teams of its functionaries to oversee the upcoming elections to the five city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).A 12-member team, headed by state BJP president BY Vijayendra, consists of MPs from the city, Union minister V Somanna, and leaders of the opposition in the legislative assembly and council. Two MLAs — S Suresh Kumar and CN Ashwath Narayan — have made it to the team.The party has also formed one team each for the five city corporations and appointed a leader in charge of each of the 27 assembly constituencies in Bengaluru coming under GBA. The Bengaluru Central city corporation team is headed by MLC CT Ravi. The Bengaluru West city corporation team is the largest, with 10 members, headed by opposition leader R Ashoka. The teams for other corporations consist of 4-6 members.Women's representationBJP has appointed a woman member to each of the teams. State vice-president and spokesperson Malavika Avinash is part of the West team. Former general secretary of BJP Karnataka's Mahila Morcha, Sarojini Bharadwaj, has made it to the Central corporation team. MLC Bharathi Shetty and MLA Manjula Limbavali are part of the North and East teams, respectively. BJP state executive member Poornima Prakash is part of the South corporation team as a special invitee.The last elections to the erstwhile BBMP, held in 2015, saw BJP win 100 of the 198 wards. However, only one of the last five mayors was a BJP councillor, while the rest were from Congress.