BENGALURU: The state government is set to issue the final notification for the creation of five new municipal corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) on Tuesday, marking a major overhaul of the city’s civic governance. The move follows the end of the public objection period on Saturday and will usher in both administrative challenges and political opportunities.
A bigger stage for city politics
Once notified, the restructuring will result in a staggering 450 corporators, with each corporation expected to average 90 wards. Bengaluru West Corporation will be the largest with 117 wards, while Bengaluru East will have only 67, the least.
Political observers say the upcoming civic polls could see as many as 1,350 candidates from the Congress, BJP, and JD(S) alone — assuming the BJP-JD(S) alliance contests separately. Added to this will be smaller parties and independent candidates, making the electoral exercise one of the most expansive in Bengaluru’s history.
Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad, who chaired the joint legislative committee on the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, said the city offers an unprecedented launch pad for new political talent. “The city has plenty of young talent and new faces will change the very flavour of state politics. Some of them will grow to become MLAs and MPs,” he said.
Lower entry barriers for aspirants
Analysts point out that civic polls are strategically important as they require fewer resources than assembly or parliamentary elections. Each ward is expected to have only about 30,000 voters, making the campaigns more accessible. This lower entry barrier is likely to attract younger aspirants who find it difficult to secure tickets for bigger elections.
However, political parties will face a balancing act in candidate selection, with strict reservation mandates — 50% of seats for women, 27% for OBCs, and 24% for SCs/STs.
Administrative challenges ahead
Beyond politics, the restructuring poses a steep administrative challenge. The government will need to create 1,580 new posts, including 979 engineers and senior officers such as additional and joint commissioners.
The annual cost for salaries alone is estimated at ₹161 crore. Ramalinga Reddy, transport minister and senior city politician, admitted the shortage is already acute. “About 50 of the existing 198 wards have no engineers. Each ward requires an assistant engineer, while every assembly segment should have at least two,” he said, adding that a plan has been prepared to fill vacancies.
Sanitation workers will continue to form the bulk of the civic workforce, but significant new recruitment is expected in areas such as planning, finance, IT, and public health.
Concerns over centralisation
Opposition leaders have warned that the creation of the GBA could lead to more centralisation rather than decentralisation. BJP MLA and former deputy chief minister CN Ashwath Narayan said, “This is being done in the guise of decentralisation, but the result will be centralisation with GBA taking over a supervisory role over the corporations.”
With the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) set to cease functioning from September 2, civic activists argue that systemic issues such as “cash for posting” and lack of skilled administrators must be addressed if the GBA experiment is to succeed.
The government’s final notification on Tuesday will formally trigger one of the most ambitious governance restructurings in Bengaluru’s history — and potentially reshape both its civic administration and its political landscape for years to come.