GBA Seeks Three-Month Delay in Bengaluru Civic Elections Over Staff Shortages, Legal Hurdles

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GBA Seeks Three-Month Delay in Bengaluru Civic Elections Over Staff Shortages, Legal Hurdles | AirNews

The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) is preparing to request the Karnataka government to direct the State Election Commission (SEC) to approach the Supreme Court for a three-month postponement of civic body elections, scheduled for June 14 to June 24, due to severe administrative constraints and lack of preparedness. GBA officials cite overlapping responsibilities, including the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, census operations, and monsoon preparedness, as major impediments to conducting free and fair polls within the proposed window.

GBA Chief Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao confirmed that discussions have already taken place with the SEC, and the State government shares the view that more time is needed. Additional Chief Secretary for Urban Development Tushar Giri Nath stated that the request would be formally routed through the SEC to seek fresh orders from the Supreme Court, emphasizing that current staff are overstretched and cannot manage election duties alongside ongoing statutory tasks like khata processing and census work.

Another critical obstacle is the unresolved reservation roster for local body elections, which requires compliance with the Supreme Court's 2010 'triple test' framework. This mandates empirical data collection on social backwardness, quota determination by a dedicated commission, and a cap on total reservations at 50%. Former commission member K.N. Lingappa has filed a petition asserting that elections cannot proceed without completing this process, and the matter is expected to be heard by the Karnataka High Court soon.

The State Election Commissioner, G.S. Sangreshi, had on Friday asked the government to propose feasible election dates within the June 14–24 period, but corporation officials argue the timeline remains impractical. With staffing shortages exacerbated by restrictions on redeploying census personnel, civic authorities warn that election readiness is critically compromised.

The Karnataka government is expected to review the GBA's request and decide whether to forward it to the SEC for Supreme Court consideration. The High Court is also likely to hear the pending triple test compliance petition within days, which could further influence the election schedule.