Supreme Court sets June 30, 2026 deadline for Greater Bengaluru Authority elections

A clear timeline from ward reservations to polling has been laid down as the Supreme Court refuses any further extension and directs the Karnataka government and Election Commission to complete the long-pending Greater Bengaluru Authority civic polls.

The Supreme Court has issued a firm directive to the Karnataka government to complete the entire election process for the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) by June 30, 2026, making it clear that no further extension of time will be granted under any circumstances.

The order was passed by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant, which described the matter as long-pending and stressed the need for elected civic governance in Bengaluru. The court instructed the state government to publish the final ward-wise reservation list by February 20, setting the pace for the remaining stages of the election process.

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Appearing for the Karnataka government, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi informed the court that the reservation process would be completed within a month. Taking note of this assurance, the bench issued formal directions and warned that delays would not be entertained going forward.

In parallel, the Election Commission submitted a detailed roadmap. It said the final voter list will be published by March 16, 2026, and polling is planned by the end of May 2026. The Commission also clarified that school and college buildings would be made available as polling stations once examinations conclude. With most exams ending after May 26, the Commission assured the court that elections would be conducted immediately thereafter.

Recently, the Greater Bengaluru Authority released the draft ward-wise reservation list for all 369 wards under the new five-corporation administrative structure. The Karnataka government has issued the official notification covering Bengaluru South, North, East, West and Central corporations, formally triggering the election process.

A key feature of the reservation framework is 50 per cent reservation for women across all categories, including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Class-A, Backward Class-B and General seats. The government has also opened a 15-day window for objections to the draft list, after which the final notification will be issued.

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Ward-wise breakup across corporations:

•    Bengaluru South (72 wards): 7 SC, 1 ST, 19 BC-A, 5 BC-B, 40 General
•    Bengaluru North (72 wards): 9 SC, 2 ST, 19 BC-A, 5 BC-B, 37 General
•    Bengaluru East (50 wards): 7 SC, 1 ST, 14 BC-A, 3 BC-B, 25 General
•    Bengaluru West (112 wards): 9 SC, 2 ST, 30 BC-A, 7 BC-B, 64 General
•    Bengaluru Central (63 wards): 11 SC, 1 ST, 15 BC-A, 4 BC-B, 32 General

With the Supreme Court drawing a clear red line, the civic election process for Bengaluru has formally moved into execution mode. Political activity is expected to intensify as scrutiny over reservations, voter lists and timelines increases in the coming months.