Maheshwar Rao appointed new BBMP Chief Commissioner amid administrative reshuffle

In a significant bureaucratic reshuffle, the Karnataka government has appointed Maheshwar Rao M as the new Chief Commissioner of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Rao, who is currently serving as the Managing Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), will now take on additional responsibilities as BBMP Chief Commissioner. Outgoing BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath has been posted as Additional Chief Secretary in the Urban Development Department. Nath will also concurrently serve as Additional Chief Secretary (Home) and BBMP Administrator following the retirement of Umashankar SR on April 30.

Also Read: BBMP set to be dissolved within 120 days, making way for Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) with multiple corporations

The government has also clarified that both the posts, BBMP Chief Commissioner and Administrator, will now be considered equivalent to the rank of Additional Chief Secretary, aligning with the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) rules.

Bengaluru has been without an elected municipal body since the BBMP council's term expired in September 2020. The last elections were held in August 2015. Although polls were due in 2020, they have faced multiple delays, attributed to the pandemic, ward delimitation issues, and reservation disputes.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, in February, called on party leaders to prepare for the BBMP elections, which could be announced anytime. He mentioned that the legislative panel on the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, chaired by MLA Rizwan Arshad, would soon submit its report after public consultations.