While govt dithers on implementing Greater Bengaluru Act, BJP moves court seeking polls to BBMP

Time of India

07-05-2025

Bengaluru: The Supreme Court's order to Maharashtra's State Election Commission to notify local body polls within four months Tuesday has offered a glimmer of hope that long-delayed elections to the civic agency in Bengaluru would be held soon. However, the issue is whether polls would be held under the new Greater Bengaluru Governance Act (GBGA) or Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Act.While a bunch of petitions seeking a direction to the govt to conduct civic polls is pending before the Supreme Court, three BJP functionaries — Guatham Kumar, Narayanaswamy (both former mayors) and former deputy mayor S Harish — have impleded with the prayer that the civic polls be held under the BBMP Act.The passage of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act (GBGA) has left polls hanging in the balance. Although it is more than 15 days since governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot gave his assent to the GBG Bill and the govt notified it in its gazette, the urban development department (UDD) appears to be dithering on implementing it and is yet to announce the 'appointed day' (from when the legislation comes into force). This has cast a shadow on city civic polls, which have been delayed by more than four years.A senior UDD official explained that, technically, BBMP Act remains in force and that the govt will have to conduct elections to existing BBMP seats if the Supreme Court orders elections immediately. "But we are working to implement GBGA and the appointed day will be announced soon," the official said.Meanwhile, leader of opposition R Ashoka of BJP said he has consulted legal experts and will soon challenge the GBG Act in court. Former deputy mayor Harish claimed the govt "has no intention of facilitating civic elections". "The move to bring in GBG Act is just a ploy to delay elections further. We will bring this to the court's notice," he said.Soon after GBG Act was signed into law on April 24, deputy CM DK Shivakumar, who holds the Bengaluru development portfolio, had said that he would hold an all-party meeting to discuss its implementation. The objective was to build consensus and pave the way for civic body elections. But Shivakumar is yet to hold that meeting.The joint house committee that scrutinised the GBG Bill had set a 120-day deadline to implement its provisions once it was enacted. This entails identifying the Greater Bengaluru area, creating new city corporations (up to seven) and identifying new wards within each corporation."We know 15 days have gone by, but steps are being taken by UDD to announce the appointed day," said Rizwan Arshad, Congress MLA who headed the joint house committee. "Procedures to implement the new Act will be expedited. The govt's intention to facilitate elections within four to six months from now will be achieved."