The ruling Congress, the BJP, Janata Dal (Secular), and other parties have begun laying the groundwork for the civic polls in Bengaluru, which could be held in June if the State Election Commission has its way.
State Election Commissioner GS Sangreshi has given clear directions that the polls in 369 wards in the five municipal corporations of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) should be conducted between June 14 and June 24, after the Supreme Court ordered that the elections be completed by June 30. While there is still some scepticism about the State Government’s readiness to hold the much-delayed polls anytime soon, the SEC’s directions have set the ball rolling.
Not taking any chances, the political parties are expected to ramp up their preparations for the polls, whether they are held next month or further delayed. Unlike polls to other local bodies in the state, elections in Bengaluru draw national attention, and parties make all-out efforts to gain control of the administration in one of India’s fastest-growing metropolises.
The city, with around one-sixth of the state’s population, is an engine of India’s economic growth and contributes nearly 40% to Karnataka’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). With 28 assembly constituencies and four Lok Sabha segments, including the Bangalore Rural LS seat, it is politically significant, and a must-win poll for the ruling Congress that will be completing three years in office on May 20, and equally important for the BJP that is striving to make a comeback after successive setbacks in bypolls to the assembly seats.
The GBA polls will be the biggest political test for Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress chief DK Shivakumar, since the Congress stormed back to power with a thumping majority in May 2023. He holds the high-profile Bengaluru Development portfolio, alongside the Water Resources department. In the state capital, the buck stops with him, unlike the assembly bypolls, which were fought under collective leadership, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah being at the helm of affairs.
Although the Congress has a battery of leaders, including ministers Ramalinga Reddy, Krishna Byre Gowda, Byrathi Suresh, and Zameer Ahmed Khan, all representing assembly segments in the City, Bengaluru is not an easy test for the Vokkaliga strongman, aspiring to become the CM.
The implementation of the five guarantees played a significant role in the bypolls, but may not be as big a factor among urban voters, who will hold the government accountable for the infrastructure deficit, among other issues. However, the guarantees focused on women may appeal to that segment of voters to some extent.
The timing remains crucial. Holding elections towards the end of June will be nothing short of a nightmare for Congress, as the rains would expose governance failure at the municipal level. Potholes that resurface on the Bengaluru roads after monsoon rains, which also cause flooding in low-lying areas, make it all the more difficult for Congress to approach voters with its development-focused pitch.
Despite dividing the corporation into five smaller entities under GBA to ensure the effective resolution of civic issues, at times, they are found wanting. On April 29, seven people were killed after a compound wall of Bowring Hospital collapsed due to heavy rains. On the same day, hundreds of trees were uprooted, exposing the city’s vulnerability and administrative failure.
At the top level, the ministers and senior Congress leaders admit that confusion over the leadership issue is taking a toll on the administration and that it needs to be resolved at the earliest. That issue could again be kept on the back burner if the elections are announced in the next few days or weeks.
A senior Congress leader, playing a crucial role in the party’s election management in the state capital, admits that the party’s prospects look good only in the North and Central Municipal Corporations. He is sceptical about holding the polls before June 30. He does not rule out the possibility of the government seeking more time, as officials are busy with census work. According to him, if the elections are postponed further, they could be held in September/October.
While that clarity would emerge in the next few days, the political parties continue with their preparations.
In Bengaluru, the BJP is expected to fight the elections with the same intensity and rigor as the assembly polls. The party, which won 16 of the 28 assembly segments in the city in 2023 and all four LS seats in the 2024 elections, can fight a street-for-street and ward-for-ward battle against the Congress. The party would try to channelise the anger among the urban middle class over price rise, corruption, poor infrastructure, and unemployment, against the Congress government. But it is not easy for the BJP leadership to counter the Congress narrative against the Union Government, especially over price rise.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to party workers near the HAL airport in Bengaluru on Sunday morning would give a head start for the BJP’s preparations for the upcoming polls. While the PM’s address prepares the ground, keeping up the momentum could be a big challenge.