Bengaluru: The Karnataka Government has officially replaced the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) with the newly formed Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), ushering in a fresh governance model for the state capital.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will chair the authority, while Deputy CM and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar will serve as Vice Chairman. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, three Bengaluru MPs, city MLAs, and senior officials will also be part of the 75-member civic body.
The GBA has retained the 198 BBMP wards, but Bengaluru will now be divided into five municipal corporations, each split into two zones, making 10 zones in total. Every corporation will have an elected Mayor with a 2.5-year term, and revenue collected in each corporation will be used locally.
Deputy CM Shivakumar confirmed that the long-delayed Bengaluru civic polls, pending since five years, will be held after November 2025. “Ward delimitation and reservations will be finalised by November 30, after which the State Election Commission will announce the elections,” he said.
From September, Commissioners, Joint Commissioners, and Chief Engineers will take charge in each of the five corporations and their zones.
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Although the opposition BJP has criticised the move, the government argues that the Greater Bengaluru Authority will strengthen accountability, improve civic infrastructure, and address long-standing issues such as potholes, waterlogging, and waste management.
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