The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has approached the Supreme Court seeking a four-month postponement of the long-awaited Bengaluru civic body elections, citing the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across Karnataka. The authority argued that conducting elections before the voter list revision is completed could affect the accuracy of the electoral rolls and the fairness of the election process.
The plea was filed after the Supreme Court had earlier directed the State Election Commission to hold elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) at the earliest. However, GBA officials informed the court that the ongoing voter verification exercise, being carried out by the Election Commission of India, requires additional time before updated electoral rolls can be shared with the State Election Commission for the municipal polls.
According to the GBA, the revision process involves verifying millions of voter records, removing duplicate and ineligible entries, and incorporating eligible new voters across Karnataka. Officials argued that using incomplete or outdated voter lists could lead to disputes and legal challenges after the elections. They therefore requested the court to allow sufficient time to complete the revision before announcing the election schedule.
The delay request has drawn criticism from opposition parties and civic activists, who argue that Bengaluru has been functioning without an elected municipal council for an extended period. They contend that postponing the elections further will continue to deprive citizens of elected local representatives responsible for addressing issues such as roads, waste management, drainage, water supply, and urban planning.
Legal experts note that the Supreme Court will have to balance the constitutional requirement of holding timely local body elections with the need to ensure free and fair polls based on updated electoral rolls. The court is expected to hear the matter in the coming days before deciding whether to grant the requested four-month extension.
If the Supreme Court approves the request, the Bengaluru civic elections could be pushed back by four months, giving authorities additional time to complete voter verification. Until then, the Greater Bengaluru Authority will continue administering civic affairs while preparations for the elections remain on hold.
