Bengaluru Civic Polls: SIR Underway, Ballot Papers to Replace EVMs; Elections After May 25

Bengaluru: Preparations for the long-pending Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) civic polls have gained momentum with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls currently underway, officials said on Monday.

The Chief Election Commissioner overseeing the poll process confirmed that the SIR exercise is focused on updating and correcting the voter lists. This includes verification of names, addresses and personal details to ensure that the final rolls accurately reflect eligible voters before the election is conducted.

Draft electoral rolls for the five new municipal corporations under the GBA were published on today, marking a key milestone in the revision process. Following publication, house-to-house verification and interaction with political parties are expected to take place, with the period for filing claims and objections set to be completed before the final list is made public.

Officials also confirmed that the GBA elections will be held using ballot papers rather than electronic voting machines (EVMs). Clarifying the decision, the Chief Election Commissioner said ballot voting is permissible under law and pointed out that the Supreme Court has noted there is nothing wrong with using ballot papers in elections.

State authorities drew a parallel between the role of the State Election Commission (SEC) and that of the Election Commission of India (ECI), noting that just as the ECI has the authority to decide poll processes for national and state elections, the SEC has similar powers for local body polls such as those for the GBA.

The elections are expected to take place after May 25, once school and college examinations conclude and final voter lists are in place, officials said. The Supreme Court has also set a broader timeline for the entire poll process, directing that the elections be concluded by June 30 at the latest.

The upcoming polls will be for 369 wards across the five municipal corporations formed under the GBA - Central, North, South, East and West Bengaluru, a marked expansion from the 198 wards in the earlier Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) civic body structure.

The Special Intensive Revision and ballot paper decision have come amid broader public and political discussions on electoral roll accuracy and the choice of voting method, with authorities emphasizing that all decisions are being taken within the framework of existing legal provisions and judicial observations.

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