Deputy Commissioners told to remove flex banners put up along State and national highways.

With the announcement of elections to the State Legislative Assembly on May 5, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and authorities in all districts are waging a battle against banners, hoardings, cut-outs and posters of political parties and leaders, as directed by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer.

Special teams

BBMP has formed teams for removing cut-outs, hoardings, banners and posters of political parties on Thursday night, said CEO Anil Kumar Jha. Nearly a hundred truckloads of cut-outs and banners were removed in the BBMP limits on Thursday and Friday. “If removed cut-outs and banners are erected again, we will file criminal cases against such sponsors of banners,” BBMP officials told The Hindu .

The Election Commission has also banned defacement of public properties. No wall writing, pasting of posters/papers or defacement in any other form, or erecting/displaying of cut-outs, hoardings, banners flags would be permitted on any government premises during the enforcement of code of conduct.

BBMP has formed division-wise teams to remove all kinds of posters and banners. Executive engineers, assistant executive engineers have been given the task of removing all hoardings. All removed hoardings have been stored at zonal offices of the BBMP, officials said. The Deputy Commissioners, who are Returning Officers, have been instructed to take steps to remove all flex printing materials and colourful banners erected on the roadsides on national and State highways, district and taluk headquarters. Banners have been put out to highlight the government’s achievements or performance of the candidates during the last five years, officials sources said.

BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah held a meeting with CEO and discussed various steps taken by the civic body to ensure implementation of model code of conduct.

Not all are down

Despite strict warning by the CEO, cut-outs, posters and banners of contesting candidates were found on Friday in several places in Govindarajanagar, Vijayanagar, Rajajinagar and Mahalakshmi Layout Assembly constituencies in Bangalore. In fact, new hoardings and banners were found in the Govindiarajanagar constituency after announcement of elections to the Assembly, said a trader in Vijayanagar.