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Indian Express
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Another petition in Karnataka HC challenges legality of Greater Bengaluru Governance Act
In the second such petition before the Karnataka High Court, a group of Bengaluru residents, including filmmaker T S Nagabharana, on Monday challenged the legality of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, as per which the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will be reorganised into five corporations – central, east, north, south, and west. A bench consisting of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C M Joshi issued a notice for the state to respond to the petition, which prays for several provisions of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act to be declared ultra vires to the 74th amendment of the Constitution. The 74th amendment primarily deals with the powers and finances of municipal bodies. In the interim, the petition also calls for the operation of the legislation to be stayed and for the BBMP elections to be held within three months. The petitioners argued that this was an attempt by the state to take over local bodies despite the absence of elections. The Citizens Action Forum has also moved the high court in the matter, arguing that sections of the Act encourage the centralisation of powers in the hands of the State Government at the expense of local self-governance 'in the garb of the Greater Bengaluru Authority and Assembly Constituency-level Consultative and Coordination Committee'. Among many other issues, the Citizens Action Forum's petition raises the concern of elected members becoming a minority. 'The only members elected at the municipal level would be the Mayors of the City Corporations who would in any case not be more than 7 in number. The elected members of the municipal government who form a part of the GBA would therefore be a numerical minority….. It is also pertinent to note that even the members of State Government and non-elected parastatal heads and bureaucrats have been given voting rights in the GBA. Therefore, the elected municipal leaders would form a minority proportion in votes held by the GBA,' the petition reads. Each of the five new corporations will have Assembly constituencies and wards within them, as per a draft notification.
New Indian Express
22-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
GBA ploy to take control of city admin: Karnataka HC plea
BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court issued notice to the state government, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the State Election Commission on a public interest litigation filed by film director T S Nagabharana and two others questioning the legality of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act (GBA), 2024. Stating that the Act is arbitrary and ultra vires the scope and ambit of the Constitution, the petitioners also sought directions to conduct the election to the BBMP. A division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C M Joshi issued notice after hearing the petition which sought a stay on the operation of the GBA, notified on May 14, 2025, and also direction to the SEC to conduct the BBMP elections within three months. The petitioners urged the court to declare Sections 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 18, 21, 22, 23 and 316 as unconstitutional and consequently declare the GBA as unconstitutional, arbitrary and ultra vires the scope and ambit of the Constitution.
