<p>Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which has sailed into history, saw only two council elections in 18 years and five months, leaving the city without councillors for nearly half its tenure.</p>.<p>While the BBMP was blamed for potholes, garbage, flooding, and corruption, the real power centres — MLAs — mostly escaped scrutiny.</p>.<p>Between 2001 and 2025, only three municipal polls were held, instead of the five that should have taken place. Elections were delayed in 2006–07 during the BBMP’s creation in place of the Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BMP) and again in 2020 for governance restructuring.</p>.Justice Nagamohan Das Commission flags irregularities in BBMP works.<p>Retired engineers recalled that the BBMP was formed by merging seven city municipal councils, one town municipal council, and 111 villages to provide amenities in peripheral areas and curb corruption. They said the mandate failed, and fear irregularities will persist under the new governance model as political pressures remain high.</p>.<p class="CrossHead">'A sad day'</p>.<p>Kathyayini Chamaraj, executive trustee of Civic Bangalore, called the dissolution a "sad day". </p>.<p>"Local self-governance is being dismantled, and its powers usurped by the state government. The five new corporations have far fewer powers and are weak versions of the BBMP. All major projects will now be decided by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), without adequate participation from citizens or the smaller corporations," she said.</p>.<p class="CrossHead">'Bid BBMP goodbye'</p>.<p>Civic evangelist V Ravichandar said it was time to bid the BBMP goodbye.</p>.<p>"We each have our own memories of what the BBMP meant to us. Over time, it became too big and unwieldy to be effective for citizens. And for over half its existence, there were no elected representatives. Change became necessary," he said, adding that smaller corporations with decentralisation could bring governance closer to the people if backed by the GBA.</p>.<p>Srinivas Alavilli, fellow at WRI India, expressed disapproval at the decision of making the chief minister the head of GBA, but added that smaller corporations with mayors and commissioners would be more accessible.</p>.<p>"I now sincerely hope elections for the five city corporations are held soon," he said.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which has sailed into history, saw only two council elections in 18 years and five months, leaving the city without councillors for nearly half its tenure.</p>.<p>While the BBMP was blamed for potholes, garbage, flooding, and corruption, the real power centres — MLAs — mostly escaped scrutiny.</p>.<p>Between 2001 and 2025, only three municipal polls were held, instead of the five that should have taken place. Elections were delayed in 2006–07 during the BBMP’s creation in place of the Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BMP) and again in 2020 for governance restructuring.</p>.Justice Nagamohan Das Commission flags irregularities in BBMP works.<p>Retired engineers recalled that the BBMP was formed by merging seven city municipal councils, one town municipal council, and 111 villages to provide amenities in peripheral areas and curb corruption. They said the mandate failed, and fear irregularities will persist under the new governance model as political pressures remain high.</p>.<p class="CrossHead">'A sad day'</p>.<p>Kathyayini Chamaraj, executive trustee of Civic Bangalore, called the dissolution a "sad day". </p>.<p>"Local self-governance is being dismantled, and its powers usurped by the state government. The five new corporations have far fewer powers and are weak versions of the BBMP. All major projects will now be decided by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), without adequate participation from citizens or the smaller corporations," she said.</p>.<p class="CrossHead">'Bid BBMP goodbye'</p>.<p>Civic evangelist V Ravichandar said it was time to bid the BBMP goodbye.</p>.<p>"We each have our own memories of what the BBMP meant to us. Over time, it became too big and unwieldy to be effective for citizens. And for over half its existence, there were no elected representatives. Change became necessary," he said, adding that smaller corporations with decentralisation could bring governance closer to the people if backed by the GBA.</p>.<p>Srinivas Alavilli, fellow at WRI India, expressed disapproval at the decision of making the chief minister the head of GBA, but added that smaller corporations with mayors and commissioners would be more accessible.</p>.<p>"I now sincerely hope elections for the five city corporations are held soon," he said.</p>