BBMP elections: SC seeks timeline from Karnataka govt amid 10-year delay and delimitation issues

The Supreme Court has directed the Karnataka government to submit a formal affidavit detailing the timeline for the long-pending Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections. The directive came from a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, following concerns raised over the 10-year delay in conducting the civic polls.

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Advocates representing the petitioners informed the court that BBMP elections have not been held for over a decade. In response, senior advocate A.M. Singhvi and Advocate General (AG) Shashikiran Shetty, appearing for the state government, explained that the delay was due to the Governor withholding assent to the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill for nearly two months. They assured the court that constituency delimitation and reservation processes would be completed by November, after which the State Election Commission (SEC) could conduct the polls.

Senior advocate K.N. Phanindra, appearing for the SEC, requested two additional months after November to make preparations for the election. The court has asked the state to file an affidavit laying out this proposed timeline and has adjourned the hearing to next Monday.