<p>Bengaluru: Amid speculations that the elections to the five city corporations will be delayed again, the Urban Development Department (UDD) has filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court stating that it has fulfilled all its responsibilities for holding the much-delayed polls by June-end.</p>.<p>However, the state election commission (SEC) – which had also made a commitment before the apex court of finalising the electoral roll by March 16 – is yet to comply.</p>.<p>In its affidavit filed before the apex court on April 13, the state government has clarified that the final ward-wise reservation notifications for all five city corporations in the Greater Bengaluru Area were issued on March 7, 2026.</p>.<p>The affidavit, submitted by Additional Chief Secretary Tushar Girinath, acknowledges that there was a delay of about 15 days in publishing the final notifications.</p>.<p>However, the government maintained that this delay was administrative in nature.</p>.Bengaluru has 88.9 lakh voters as GBA publishes second version of draft electoral rolls.<p>Importantly, the affidavit underlines that the poll body does not require the ward reservation list to proceed with preparatory steps such as finalising the electoral roll.</p>.<p>According to the affidavit, the SEC had scheduled to complete the ward-wise electoral rolls by March 16.</p>.<p>“Since the SEC does not require a reservation list of wards until final publication of ward-wise electoral roll, the delay in publishing ward-wise reservation has not affected the election process,” it states. The state government has completed all its responsibilities, including publishing the final ward reservation without affecting the election process, the affidavit notes, urging the court to take the status report on record.</p><p>Electoral roll</p><p>In January this year, the SEC had published the draft electoral roll, which comprised 88.91 lakh voters.<br>Following complaints of discrepancies in the voters’ list, the commission published an updated draft electoral roll on March 9. The number of voters went up by a miniscule margin of about 1,117 voters. Subsequently, the SEC extended the deadline to file objections to the electoral roll twice. Now, it is expected to be published on April 16.</p><p>Sources said the SEC, just like the UDD, may have to file an affidavit of status report to the Supreme Court in the backdrop that it had committed to hold the civic body elections by June-end. The rumour mill is that the commission may seek an extension of time to hold elections, as it depends on the same set of people who are already burdened with activities relating to the National Census 2027 and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.</p><p>SEC commissioner GS Sangreshi did not respond to calls.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Amid speculations that the elections to the five city corporations will be delayed again, the Urban Development Department (UDD) has filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court stating that it has fulfilled all its responsibilities for holding the much-delayed polls by June-end.</p>.<p>However, the state election commission (SEC) – which had also made a commitment before the apex court of finalising the electoral roll by March 16 – is yet to comply.</p>.<p>In its affidavit filed before the apex court on April 13, the state government has clarified that the final ward-wise reservation notifications for all five city corporations in the Greater Bengaluru Area were issued on March 7, 2026.</p>.<p>The affidavit, submitted by Additional Chief Secretary Tushar Girinath, acknowledges that there was a delay of about 15 days in publishing the final notifications.</p>.<p>However, the government maintained that this delay was administrative in nature.</p>.Bengaluru has 88.9 lakh voters as GBA publishes second version of draft electoral rolls.<p>Importantly, the affidavit underlines that the poll body does not require the ward reservation list to proceed with preparatory steps such as finalising the electoral roll.</p>.<p>According to the affidavit, the SEC had scheduled to complete the ward-wise electoral rolls by March 16.</p>.<p>“Since the SEC does not require a reservation list of wards until final publication of ward-wise electoral roll, the delay in publishing ward-wise reservation has not affected the election process,” it states. The state government has completed all its responsibilities, including publishing the final ward reservation without affecting the election process, the affidavit notes, urging the court to take the status report on record.</p><p>Electoral roll</p><p>In January this year, the SEC had published the draft electoral roll, which comprised 88.91 lakh voters.<br>Following complaints of discrepancies in the voters’ list, the commission published an updated draft electoral roll on March 9. The number of voters went up by a miniscule margin of about 1,117 voters. Subsequently, the SEC extended the deadline to file objections to the electoral roll twice. Now, it is expected to be published on April 16.</p><p>Sources said the SEC, just like the UDD, may have to file an affidavit of status report to the Supreme Court in the backdrop that it had committed to hold the civic body elections by June-end. The rumour mill is that the commission may seek an extension of time to hold elections, as it depends on the same set of people who are already burdened with activities relating to the National Census 2027 and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.</p><p>SEC commissioner GS Sangreshi did not respond to calls.</p>