The Karnataka State Election Commission and the Karnataka government have approached the Supreme Court of India seeking additional time to conduct elections to the newly created municipal corporations in Bengaluru, citing staff shortages arising from revision of electoral rolls and work related to the 2026 census.
In an affidavit filed on Monday, the poll panel said officials entrusted with the special intensified review (SIR) of electoral rolls and 2026 census exercises have left limited manpower available for preparations related to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) elections. The committee said the concerns raised by the authority supervising the city’s civil restructuring were “valid and real” and requested more time to complete the process.
This petition comes despite an earlier Supreme Court directive requiring that elections for the five companies subject to the GBA be completed before the end of June.
State Election Commissioner GS Sangreshi had earlier indicated that polls could be held between June 14 and 24 and asked the GBA to clarify within a week whether it can adhere to the schedule. However, officials later said that several government departments were simultaneously involved in electoral roll revisions, census-related surveys, and house roll exercises.
AS Ponnana, legal advisor to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, said the matter was discussed with senior Congress leaders, including Randeep Singh Surjewala, as the party prepares for the civic elections awaiting the court’s decision.
“If the elections are held, we have discussed what should be done on our part, including the formation of GBA committees and the party manifesto. We should conduct the elections as per the directions of the Supreme Court,” Ponnana said.
He said the census and election audit work in Bengaluru proved difficult as many residents were not present during field visits or lived in closed houses, delaying the process.
“It is a difficult task for GBA employees to conduct Census and Population Census in Bengaluru as many of them are working and unavailable, their homes are locked and this is delaying the process. The only solution is to go to court and explain. We will tell the high court how many officers we have, how many people are on SIR and census duty, how many people are on leave, how much time we need, how many people are required for survey work in GBA,” he said.
The government is now seeking a deadline till September, said M Shivaraju, a former Shivanagar member of the Mahalaxmi Layout and one of the petitioners who moved the Supreme Court last year seeking local body elections.
Even as the commission seeks more time, political parties have begun treating the Bengaluru civic polls as a key test ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections.
The potential postponement also coincided with efforts to complete infrastructure works across the city. According to the legislator, road and footpath works are underway and could continue for about three months. The government believes that completing these projects before the elections could improve its electoral chances.
The BJP intensified its preparations after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met party leaders, elected representatives and aspirants during his visit to Bengaluru on Sunday. The party has scheduled a strategy meeting on May 15 to discuss candidate selection and campaign management for the GBA elections.
The Indian National Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) have also begun groundwork for the elections, which will be the first municipal elections in Bengaluru since the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike stopped having an elected council in 2020.
The risks extend beyond city management. Bengaluru accounts for nearly one-sixth of Karnataka’s population, contributes nearly 40% to the state’s economic output and contains 28 Assembly constituencies along with four Lok Sabha seats, including Bengaluru Rural.
For the Congress government, the elections are expected to become a major political test for Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who oversees the Bengaluru development portfolio. The state of the city’s infrastructure has become increasingly relevant to his administration ahead of the high-profile civic contest.
