Legal storm brews over Greater Bengaluru Act; civil society, BJP likely to move court
Bengaluru: The state govt's move to divide
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
(BBMP) into several smaller corporations under the new Greater Bengaluru Governance (GBG) Act, 2024, has sparked a legal and political storm, with opposition parties and
civil society
groups preparing to challenge the law in court.
The legislation, passed recently in both Houses, received governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot's assent Wednesday and was subsequently notified in the official gazette. However, the Act now faces stiff resistance from several quarters, including principal opposition
BJP
and a coalition of civil society organisations under the banner Bengaluru Town Hall.
You Can Also Check:
Bengaluru AQI
|
Weather in Bengaluru
|
Bank Holidays in Bengaluru
|
Public Holidays in Bengaluru
"We will fight legally against the GBG Act," said opposition leader R Ashoka of BJP. "The governor has done his best under the circumstances. People are bound to criticise. If he gives his assent, they say he is pro-Congress and if he returns the bill, they brand Raj Bhavan as a BJP office."
BJP had earlier petitioned the governor to withhold assent, joining civil society members who contend that the bill violates the spirit of the 74th Constitutional Amendment by undermining local self-governance. Despite the objections, the govt re-sent the bill to Raj Bhavan last week.
The governor had initially returned the bill but is understood to have given assent considering a recent Supreme Court order mandating that governors must decide on pending bills within three months.
"We clearly explained our concerns about the bill in our memorandum to the governor," said Prakash Belavadi, convener, Bengaluru Town Hall. "We told him it would be detrimental to the development of the city. Now that the governor has given assent and the legislation has been enacted, we will study circumstances leading to it. We will hold a meeting with lawyers and domain experts on May 1. Taking legal recourse is one option we are exploring."
Citizen groups such as Citizen Action Forum are also gearing up to approach the high court. Several individuals are also expected to file separate petitions challenging the Act.
Meanwhile, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar has indicated an intent to seek political consensus. "He will soon convene an all-party meeting to avert legal battles," sources said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
20 minutes ago
- Hans India
From appeasement to report card politics: BJP hails ‘new normal' under Modi govt
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday described the eleven years of the Modi government as transformational and the one that redefined and reshaped Indian politics. Addressing a press conference at the party HQs, BJP President J.P. Nadda said that in the past 11 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed the culture of Indian politics, and it should be etched in the history books in golden letters. He said the Modi government has brought defining change in the country's politics and marked a decisive shift from -- politics of appeasement to the politics of report cards. 'This has become the new normal,' Nadda said. '11 years ago, appeasement and division of society on caste and religion were the political culture. But after 2014, a responsible government took charge under PM Modi, which started the politics of the report card,' he added. 'A remarkable transformation has taken place in the past eleven years. In the past, politics was often driven by appeasement politics, but that has now shifted to politics of performance, accountability, and responsible governance. This has now become the new normal,' he said. Nadda credited the Prime Minister for ushering in bold reforms across sectors and also for launching path-breaking initiatives like revoking Article 370 and Triple Talaq. 'Our government took bold and historic decisions in the national interest. We abrogated Article 370 and abolished Triple Talaq. We enacted a new Waqf Act and passed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). We also ensured 33 per cent reservation for women in legislative bodies,' the BJP chief pointed out. He said that it is difficult to present a full account of 11 years of governance in a single press conference; however, he underscored that the gamut of visionary policies and bold reforms has laid the foundation of a developed and self-reliant India. He said that bold and transparent governance under PM Modi has laid the foundation for a futuristic administration, and this will pave the way for the realisation of the Viksit Bharat dream. The growing public sentiment of 'Modi hai tau mumkin hai' shows people's unflinching faith and confidence in PM Modi's leadership and reinforces the belief that even arduous tasks can be overcome under his stewardship, he opined. Nadda further underlined the government's unwavering commitment towards building Bharat of everyone's dreams and said that the mantra of 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas' remains its governing principle.
Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Whole World Now Knows The Truth': Tharoor Wraps Up US Visit, Quips on Pakistan's Terror Links
/ Jun 09, 2025, 03:31PM IST Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading a multi-party Indian parliamentary delegation, declared "The world knows the truth now" after concluding a high-level visit to the US to brief global powers on Operation Sindoor—India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Tharoor said the international community now understands the scale of Pakistan-backed terrorism and India's measured but firm retaliation. The delegation met US Vice President JD Vance and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who expressed outrage at the Pahalgam killings and praised India's restraint. Tharoor emphasized that India's moral clarity and strategic intent were acknowledged by key US stakeholders. Meetings with top US lawmakers, think tanks, media, and Indian-American leaders capped the visit. Tharoor paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in Washington, reiterating India's commitment to peace—but not without strength.#shashitharoor #operationsindoor #pahalgamattack #worldknowsthetruth #indiausrelations #jdvance #christopherlandau #usbacksindia #indianusvisit #terrorfrompakistan #indiandiplomacy #mahatmagandhiwashington #globalsupportindia #strategicretaliation #indiafightsterror #toi #toibharat #bharat #breakingnews #indianews
Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Time of India
EC must address Rahul Gandhi's doubts on Maharashtra polls, says Prashant Kishor
Patna, Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has said the Election Commission should come clean on doubts raised about the Maharashtra assembly polls by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi . The former poll strategist said that while he did not consider himself a "specialist" in these matters, the EC should respond to allegations made "in writing" by Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha . "The Congress is the main opposition party in the country. Rahul Gandhi is the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha. Hence, the EC should dispel any doubts that he has raised," Kishor told reporters. Also Read: Govt has stopped talking about present, now selling dreams of 2047: Rahul Gandhi The IPAC founder, who is on a tour of Bihar to galvanise public support for his Jan Suraaj Party ahead of the assembly polls, was responding to queries from journalists in Begusarai late Sunday evening. Live Events Notably, Gandhi had last week written an article in a national English daily wherein he had alleged that the assembly polls held in Maharashtra last year were not free and fair, a reason why these were swept by the NDA , months after the BJP-led coalition was drubbed in the Lok Sabha polls in the western state. The Election Commission, on its part, has come out with a point-by-point rebuttal. Kishor said, "Rahul Gandhi has not expressed his view not in a bite but in writing, through a newspaper article". However, Kishor had in the past worked with the Congress as an election consultant and had also toyed with the idea of formally joining that party prior to floating his own outfit. "As such, if doubts remain in people's minds about the fairness of the electoral process, it would not be good for a democracy. Hence, the EC must come forward and dispel all misgivings," he said.
