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Time of India
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Election Commission urges amendments to ensure smooth polls to GBA corporations
Bengaluru: Karnataka's State Election Commission (SEC) has urged the govt to amend the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act-2024 to plug legislative gaps and enable smooth conduct of elections to the city's newly created multi-corporation civic agency setup. In a letter to additional chief secretary of the urban development department, state election commissioner GS Sangreshi highlighted the absence of clarity in the current law regarding preparation of electoral rolls and conduct of elections. In his letter, he said: "Section 35 of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act-2024 does not specify whether the SEC should prepare electoral rolls or adopt the Legislative Assembly electoral rolls." You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru To address this, the commission has proposed two options: Amend Section 35 to allow the SEC to prepare electoral rolls in line with the Registration of Electors Rules-1960, framed under the Representation of People's Act-1950; or alternatively, adopt the assembly rolls, provided the govt frames rules enabling their use. "The letter also suggested aligning Section 35 with provisions in other state laws, such as the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act-1976, and the Karnataka Municipalities Act- 1964 which include clear guidelines for electoral roll preparation," a source said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Gold Is Surging in 2025 — Smart Traders Are Already In IC Markets Learn More Undo The commission has asked the govt to frame rules under Section 68 of the Act to govern elections for key urban posts. "There is a need for the govt to frame rules under Section 68 of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act-2024 for conducting elections for councillors, mayors, deputy mayors, and standing committee chairpersons," the letter states. Currently, Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Election) Rules-1979 are in use for elections in other municipal corporations. The SEC has recommended their adoption for Bengaluru's five city corporations to maintain procedural uniformity and avoid legal ambiguity. The commission also stressed urgency of govt intervention. "The SEC urged the govt to take prompt action to amend Section 35, frame necessary rules, or adopt existing ones to facilitate the smooth conduct of elections under the Act," the letter stated. "These measures are essential for upholding the democratic process in the newly established multiple city corporations in Bengaluru," it added. The govt is yet to respond to the proposal. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Bengaluru civic polls unlikely this year; govt to file affidavit in SC
Bengaluru: Long-delayed civic elections for Bengaluru city are unlikely to be held this year, with govt officials conceding that key formalities mandated under the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act (GBG Act), 2024, may not be completed in time. Civic agency polls, overdue since Sept 2020, are now set to be pushed into 2026 owing to the complex exercise of dividing the city into five new municipal corporations and creating fresh ward boundaries. The state govt, in its submission to the Supreme Court Monday, said it needs time till Nov 1 to complete delimitation and formation of new wards in accordance with the GBG Act. The court, which scheduled the next hearing for Aug 4, has directed the govt to file an affidavit confirming its timeline commitment by then. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru "Our govt is keen on ensuring civic polls at the earliest, with the formation of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), which is for the greater good of the city," said deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar , who holds the Bengaluru development portfolio. "The decision on formation of GBA has been taken keeping in mind geographical, administrative and economic aspects. As far as civic elections are concerned, we will submit an affidavit in the Supreme Court very soon." However, officials privately admit that even an early 2026 timeline is optimistic. The govt must finalise a reservation matrix for newly created wards after completing the delimitation of each of the five proposed corporations. Only then can the State Election Commission (SEC) begin work on electoral rolls. "We have told the Supreme Court that we need three months to finalise electoral rolls," said GS Sangreshi, state election commissioner. "We will begin the exercise soon after the govt completes the delimitation exercise for new wards. While the govt is committed to completing it by Nov, we expect it to file the affidavit accordingly. If it fails to keep this deadline, then we will think about filing a contempt suit against it in the apex court. " On July 18, the govt issued a draft notification to create five city corporations. Citizens have been invited to file objections or suggestions before Aug 18. Officials said the urban development department will vet these responses till Sept 2, following which final notification will be issued. Each corporation will have 90 wards, with an average population of 30,000 per ward. Despite the tight timelines, Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad, who headed a legislature committee on the GBG Bill, remains hopeful: "The govt has decided to work on a warfooting to complete all pending procedures before Nov. We will request the election commission to hold the polls by Dec. It is a herculean task, but I think it can be achieved."
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Urban voters' indifference deafeating the purpose of democracy: SEC
Dharwad: State election commissioner GS Sangreshi regretted that the participation of urban population in democratic process is not up to the expected level and said this indifferent attitude will defeat the very purpose of democracy. Delivering a lecture on 'Indian democracy and the role of elections in shaping its future' at a function organised by the department of political science at Karnatak Arts College here on Saturday, he said elections provide an important tool to the voters to elect able candidates as their representatives, but during elections, the voter turnout in urban areas is poor when compared to that in rural areas. "Urban voters who complain of bad governance shy away from performing their duty when it comes to voting. In contrast, we find that rural voters participate in the electoral process with much enthusiasm," Sangreshi, who is an alumnus of the college, said. He called upon the youths not to fall prey to inducements while casting their votes and merit of the candidate should alone be the criteria for voting. Reflecting on his own student days, he said Karnataka College had played a major role in shaping his career and thanked all those who helped him. KU registrar A Chennappa released the college miscellany 'Ninaada'. Political science department chairman Suresh Hullannavar spoke. Principal DB Karadoni presided over the function.
