Notwithstanding the two-month extension till August 31 given by the Supreme Court, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), with intervention from the State government, will seek yet another extension – this time till December, to conduct the long-pending GBA elections. This is despite the Supreme Court pulling up the Karnataka Government on Wednesday for ‘deploying tactics’ and terming the extension as its ‘last chance.’

Speaking with The Hindu, officials said the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) schedule was officially announced only on May 14, barely a week before the hearing, and argued that conducting both exercises simultaneously with the same field staff would be “impossible”. Meanwhile, a senior official added that they would also approach the Election Commission of India to understand how GBA polls and SIR activities are expected to run in parallel with the same human resources. 

A corporation official said that a recent meeting was held with the senior officials from the Urban Development Department, where it was discussed that even an extension till September would not make the conduct of polls feasible as SIR activities will go till October. 

“While seeking extension till September, we did not know about the SIR schedule. SIR for Karnataka was announced only on May 14. The activities will continue till October 7, and that too only if everything goes exactly as per schedule. How can we conduct GBA polls in the middle of this? The same officials are involved in house-to-house visits and the entire SIR process,” an official said. He added that even after SIR concludes, authorities would need at least another month to prepare for the polls and would therefore seek an extension till the end of December. “Conducting polls in December is also ambitious,” the official further said. 

GBA to also approach ECI

Another senior GBA official said the GBA would approach the government, the Karnataka State Election Commission and the Election Commission of India to understand how to approach the polls and SIR now that the election schedule would have to be aligned with the SC’s August 31 deadline. The official also expressed frustration that while the GBA had sought time till September, the court granted an extension only till August. 

SIR-related activities in Karnataka are scheduled to begin on June 20 with preparation, training and printing work, followed by house-to-house verification by BLOs from June 30 to July 29. Draft electoral rolls are to be published on August 5, after which the claims and objections phase, notice hearings and corrections process will continue till the final rolls are published on October 7. 

The National Census 2027 exercise -- extended in Karnataka till May 22, along with SIR and monsoon preparedness, were cited by the GBA as key reasons while seeking a “slight extension”. While the government has repeatedly cited a “manpower problem”, voter mapping for SIR has already crossed 86% across Karnataka, with Bengaluru Urban alone crossing 75%. Census work, too, is nearing its deadline.  

However,  GBA officials rejected suggestions that this reduces the burden and makes it feasible for elections. The officials argued that the most difficult phase is yet to begin, particularly the claims and objections stage after publication of draft rolls, which would place “enormous pressure” on BLOs and enumerators and increase the risk of errors if both exercises are forced to run simultaneously.  

Karnataka State Election Commissioner G.S. Sangreshi was not available for comment.