2 min readBengaluruUpdated: May 12, 2026 04:04 PM IST
In a reversal of its earlier stance, the Karnataka State Election Commission (SEC) Monday approached the Supreme Court seeking a 90-day extension to conduct the long-delayed Bengaluru civic polls. The move comes just days after State Election Commissioner G S Sangreshi had asserted that the elections for the five corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) would be held between June 14 and June 24.
In an interim application filed before the apex court, the SEC argued that the extension is necessary due to the overlapping timelines of the Census and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Both exercises have reportedly exhausted the state’s administrative and logistical resources.
“The concerns expressed by the State Government authorities prima facie appear to be genuine,” the petition stated. It further noted that on May 8, GBA officials formally requested more time, citing that the same officials required for poll duty are currently mandated by the Union government for census and SIR work.
When The Indian Express contacted Sangreshi for a response, his office stated that he was in a meeting and would reply later.
Meanwhile, Congress sources indicated that top leadership, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, is split on whether to proceed with the June schedule.
“Many leaders are wary of holding elections so soon and prefer a delay to better align their campaign strategies,” a senior Congress leader told The Indian Express. Despite this, Shivakumar is expected to announce a “big guarantee” specifically for Bengaluru on May 13, signalling that the party is preparing for any outcome the Supreme Court decides.
Bengaluru has been without an elected civic body since September 2020, when the term of the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) expired. The transition to the GBA structure, which splits the city into five corporations and 369 wards, has been fraught with legal and administrative hurdles.
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The GBA has announced that there are approximately 88.95 lakh voters across 369 wards. The electorate comprises around 45.7 lakh men, 43.2 lakh women, and 1,635 others. Last week, Sangreshi stated that they needed to submit a compliance report to the Supreme Court by June 30, contrary to the latest interim application plea.
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