Draft rolls show sharp drop in ward size ahead of Bengaluru civic polls

Bengaluru: The draft electoral rolls released for the Bengaluru civic body polls indicate a sharp reduction in the size of individual wards, a change that could alter the dynamics of the city’s upcoming municipal elections, long dominated by national parties.

According to the rolls, the city has 88.91 lakh voters spread across 369 wards, bringing the average electorate per ward to about 24,000.

The data also shows that about 71 wards — mostly in the Bengaluru Central City Corporation — have fewer than 20,000 voters, while around 30 wards, nearly half of them in the Bengaluru West City Corporation, have more than 30,000 voters.

Political observers say the smaller voter base lowers the entry barrier for candidates, potentially increasing the number of rebels and independents. Some, however, are sceptical, noting that ward delimitation and reservation are often skewed to favour candidates representing the ruling party in the state.

Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad said compact wards would make corporators more accessible and help speed up grievance redressal. At the same time, he noted that larger parties may face discontent among aspirants during ticket distribution, though the increase in the number of wards could help diffuse rebellion.

Ashwin Mahesh, who has worked closely with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), said candidates may now need roughly 4,000 votes to secure a win, compared with 6,000–7,000 votes in previous municipal elections. This, he said, could enable communities with sizeable voter bases to gain representation.

New political outfits such as the Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party (BNP), founded by individuals formerly associated with the Bangalore Apartments’ Federation, are making their electoral debut with the hope of making a difference. 

Mohan Dasari, a resident of CV Raman Nagar, said fresh faces would stand a chance only if voters focus on candidates rather than parties.

“Many people do not differentiate between municipal, Assembly and parliamentary elections. If civic body polls are fought in the name of national leaders, how will ward-level representation change?” he asked, adding that winning remains difficult even in smaller wards. He also said money power continues to play a significant role in Bengaluru’s elections.