No BBMP Elections This Year; Greater Bengaluru Authority Formation Delayed: Karnataka Government Informs High Court

The Karnataka government informs the High Court that no BBMP elections will be held this year. Formation of Greater Bengaluru Authority postponed until after elections for five new municipal corporations expected by January 2026. 

Bengaluru: The much-anticipated formation of the Greater Bengaluru Authority, which was intended to oversee and streamline the administration of the rapidly expanding city, has been officially postponed. The state government informed the High Court that the authority will not be established this year. Instead, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will continue to function as the governing body until elections are conducted for the newly created five municipal corporations carved out from BBMP. This development has significant implications for city governance and ongoing regulatory enforcement.

During a recent hearing before Justice MI Arun, State Advocate General K Sashikiran Shetty clarified the government’s position regarding the administrative transition and the authority of BBMP officials amid this interim period.

Petition Challenges BBMP Notice Over Bylaw Violation 

The matter arose when Munivenkatappa of CV Raman Nagar filed a petition challenging a building bylaw violation notice issued by the BBMP's Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE). The petitioner argued that since the government had already announced the formation of the Greater Bengaluru Authority, the BBMP no longer had jurisdiction to issue such notices, and therefore, the notice should be quashed.

BBMP Defends Authority To Issue Notices 

Under Current Law Opposing this, the BBMP’s lawyer submitted that the BBMP Act of 2020 remains in effect until the Greater Bengaluru Authority is formally established. The government had issued a related order on May 15, 2025, confirming this interim arrangement. Hence, the AEE retains the legal authority to issue notices regarding building bylaw violations, and the petition should be dismissed accordingly.

Court Seeks Clarification On Implementation Timeline 

The court noted that the petitioner’s objection was based on the assumption that the BBMP Act would no longer apply following the formation of the Greater Bengaluru Authority. Consequently, the bench directed the state government to provide a clear timeline for when the new authority would be implemented.

Government Confirms Delay; BBMP To Continue Until 2026 

Elections Advocate General K Sashikiran Shetty informed the court that the implementation of the Greater Bengaluru Authority has been postponed and will not take place in 2025. Elections for the five newly formed municipal corporations, created from the division of the BBMP, are expected to be held by January 2026. Until then, the BBMP Act remains fully applicable, and the BBMP will continue to administer Bengaluru city.

Court Orders No Coercive Action Pending 

Further Hearing In light of these clarifications, the court instructed the BBMP lawyer not to initiate any coercive action against the petitioner while the matter is pending. The hearing was then adjourned to Wednesday for further proceedings.