BBMP polls likely to be delayed beyond October

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Head Office at Hudson Circle, in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: File Photo

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which has been without an elected council for over three years, is unlikely to get one soon, with the Governor’s assent to the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, 2024.

Transport and Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy, speaking to The Hindu, acknowledged the challenges ahead, stating that the exercises mandated by the new legislation would require at least six months to complete. “If everything goes according to plan, the BBMP elections may be conducted before the end of 2025,” he said.

Former councillors say that MLAs across political parties have long been seeking excuses to delay elections to the BBMP fearing a loss of control over the civic body. They claim that the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act (GBGA), 2024, has now provided them with “another perfect opportunity” to postpone the polls.

Processes involved

Under the GBGA, the government is tasked with redrawing the boundaries of new corporations, carrying out ward delimitation across multiple corporations, and finalising reservation of seats — processes that offer scope for significant delays.

According to the provisions of the Act, the government is mandated to complete these exercises and issue a notification within four months. However, many believe that the process could extend much longer, potentially dragging on for at least nine months.

All-party meeting

Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar is expected to convene all-party meetings to discuss the drawing of boundaries for new corporations — the first formal step toward implementing the GBGA. However, former corporators dismissed these meetings as “mere eyewash”, alleging there is an unwritten understanding among MLAs to delay the process.

Even former Congress councillors, speaking on the condition of anonymity, maintained that unless the courts intervene and compel action, elections to the BBMP are unlikely to be held anytime soon. They further alleged that MLAs from both the Congress and the BJP are disinterested in holding elections, as they prefer administrative rule, which allows them to interfere easily in civic affairs.

However, Abdul Wajid, a former Congress councillor, welcomed the Governor’s assent to the Bill, while admitting that it could take at least six months to finalise the boundaries for the new corporations. Nevertheless, he insisted that the State government remains committed to conducting the elections at the earliest.