Credit: Special arrangement
Challenging Bengaluru’s governance status quo, the Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party (BNP) on Friday launched its 'Mission 50' campaign for the civic elections.
BNP, positioning itself as a professional alternative to legacy parties, pledged to win 50 wards to institutionalise citizen-led, decentralised governance.
The party criticised the recent shift to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), calling it a "19th-century solution to a 21st-century powerhouse".
Srikanth Narasimhan, founder and general secretary of BNP, likened the administration to a broken engine: "The government thinks changing the name from BBMP to GBA and adding more seats will fix the vehicle. It will not. The governance engine is fundamentally broken," he said.
The BNP’s manifesto centers on reviving area sabhas, as mandated by the 74th Constitutional Amendment. The party argues that the GBA model centralises power under the chief minister, increasing overlap among agencies like BWSSB and Bescom without local coordination.
"We are not here to play politics; we are here to manage our home professionally," Narasimhan said, emphasising that 'Mission 50' aims to create a critical mass in the council to enforce the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act and ensure fiscal autonomy for wards.
The party showcased a diverse line-up of citizen-leaders, including IISc doctorates, tech professionals, and civic activists who have resolved over 10 civic issues daily without holding office.
From reclaiming footpaths in HSR Layout to bribe-free construction of the CV Raman Nagar skywalk, BNP highlighted its record of governance-first activism.
With over 50,000 volunteers, BNP plans to contest 100 wards, focusing on hyper-local accountability and transparent budgeting via a digital portal for public projects.