GBA elections in Bengaluru to be held between June 14 and 24: State Election Commissioner

Elections to the five corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) are expected to be held between June 14 and 24, State Election Commissioner G.S. Sangreshi said on Friday (May 8, 2026), ruling out any delay as the Supreme Court has directed that a compliance report on the conduct of polls be submitted by June 30.

Bengaluru has been without an elected body since 2020 and if all goes as planned, the civic polls, already delayed by five years, will finally be held this year. As per the final electoral rolls released on April 18, GBA has a total of 88,95,361 electorates across its 369 wards. As per earlier SEC announcement, the elections will be conducted with ballot papers and not the EVMs.  

Addressing the media, Mr. Sangreshi said the process to determine the poll schedule had formally begun, with a meeting convened as per provisions of the GBA Act. He said the State Election Commission had communicated with the government and sought the views of the GBA after invoking provisions under “Column 10(4)” of the legislation.

Inputs were also taken from the commissioners of the five corporations, who serve as ex-officio members, before moving ahead with the scheduling exercise. Mr. Sangreshi said the Commission had completed all preparatory steps and was equipped to conduct the elections.

During the discussions, GBA officials cited several practical difficulties, including the monsoon, examinations currently underway, the census process, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, limited staff availability and the possibility of natural disruptions, while requesting additional time. 

However, the SEC said all these reasons were already mentioned in the letter that SEC, upon GBA’s request, had taken up with the SC, and said that the SEC will abide by the previous directions given – to conduct elections before June 30.

Mr. Sangreshi clarified that the meeting had been called solely to work out the election timeline and not to deliberate on extending the deadline. He said the Supreme Court’s directions leave no room for deferment and added that the State Election Commission does not have the authority to alter the schedule.  

The transition from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to GBA under the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024 is currently facing legal challenges in the Karnataka High Court. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in July 2025 challenges the Act’s constitutionality, alleging it centralizes power and reduces the elected body’s authority. Mr. Sangreshi, however, said that he is not aware of the issue and maintained that the Supreme Court’s directions are already in place to conduct elections before June 30 and the SEC will act accordingly.  

“A final indulgence has already been granted. A compliance report must be placed before the Supreme Court by June 30. We will be prepared from our side,” he said.

The State government has been asked to suggest feasible dates within the June 14–24 window. Mr. Sangreshi said the Commission would go ahead and announce the final schedule within a week after considering the inputs received.