Bengaluru: With the Supreme Court’s June 30 deadline approaching to conduct elections to the five corporations under Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), previously Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, the govt is considering seeking a postponement, citing the ongoing Census 2027 exercise. Sources, including officials in the chief minister’s office (CMO), suggested plans are afoot to file an affidavit in the Supreme Court requesting a delay. The proposed reason is that GBA officials are currently engaged in Census-related work and may not be able to manage election preparations simultaneously. The first phase of data collection for Census 2027 — self-enumeration to be followed by home visits by enumerators — in the state began last week and is scheduled to conclude in Sept. The second phase will begin in Feb 2027. It is learnt that deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who holds the Bengaluru development portfolio, and chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh had met chief minister Siddaramaiah to discuss the possibility of seeking a postponement through the Bengaluru development department. The move also comes against the backdrop of discontent surrounding ward delimitation and the reservation process, both within and outside governing Congress. Officials say an extension will provide the govt much-needed time to address these political concerns. However, if the Supreme Court declines the request, the govt is likely to urge the Centre to exempt GBA officials from census duties, enabling them to focus on elections. Any decision on GBA elections is expected to have wider implications, potentially affecting zilla and taluk panchayat polls. With Census operations extending statewide, the govt could seek postponement of these local body elections too. Both GBA and zilla and taluk panchayat elections have already been significantly delayed. The last zilla and taluk panchayat polls were held in 2016, and BBMP elections in 2015. They were initially put off due to the pandemic and further delayed after the govt decided on delimitation. The State Election Commission has insisted it is ready to draw up electoral rolls once delimitation and reservation are fixed.
