<p>Elections to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) have come to resemble a mirage – forever visible on the horizon, yet perpetually out of reach. Deferred by successive state governments for over five years, the polls now face another postponement, precisely when public expectation of an imminent election date was at its highest. This involves a grave constitutional failure for which the State Election Commission (SEC) must bear considerable responsibility. </p><p>Based on the Commission’s own undertaking, the Supreme Court had set June as the deadline for holding polls, after repeated extensions. In a recent affidavit before the Court, the Commission stated it was prepared to proceed and that the state government was seeking an extension. </p><p>Subsequently, the Commission indicated that polling would be held between mid- and late-June. The final electoral rolls have been published, and ward delimitation has been completed. There is thus no substantive impediment to holding the elections.</p>.<p>What followed is, therefore, all the more troubling. In a volte-face, the SEC has now aligned itself with the state government in seeking additional time from the Court, citing the ongoing national Census, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and staff constraints. </p><p>This reversal inflicts serious damage on the credibility of an institution constitutionally mandated to function with independence and impartiality. An election commission that retreats under apparent governmental pressure does not resemble an autonomous authority. </p>.No excuses: Bengaluru can’t afford poll delay.<p>The SEC’s obligation was to inform the Court whether it was prepared to conduct the elections. It had no business parroting the government’s position. This invites uncomfortable questions about institutional integrity. The SIR argument, in particular, is unconvincing. Electoral roll revisions are a continuous administrative process; if their completion becomes a precondition for elections, urban local body polls could be deferred indefinitely.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, Bengaluru suffers the consequences of prolonged “officer raj”. Without an elected civic body, accountability has weakened, governance has become increasingly opaque, and citizens have been denied democratic representation in decisions affecting roads, drains, waste management, and urban planning. </p><p>The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that SECs carry a constitutional duty to conduct local body elections on schedule. If the Commission itself undermines that obligation, the foundations of grassroots democracy are imperilled. The Court must treat this apparent institutional collusion with the seriousness it warrants. </p><p>Constitutional mandates cannot be subordinated to administrative convenience or political calculation. It is even more disturbing when the very institution entrusted with safeguarding electoral democracy appears complicit in its subversion.</p>
<p>Elections to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) have come to resemble a mirage – forever visible on the horizon, yet perpetually out of reach. Deferred by successive state governments for over five years, the polls now face another postponement, precisely when public expectation of an imminent election date was at its highest. This involves a grave constitutional failure for which the State Election Commission (SEC) must bear considerable responsibility. </p><p>Based on the Commission’s own undertaking, the Supreme Court had set June as the deadline for holding polls, after repeated extensions. In a recent affidavit before the Court, the Commission stated it was prepared to proceed and that the state government was seeking an extension. </p><p>Subsequently, the Commission indicated that polling would be held between mid- and late-June. The final electoral rolls have been published, and ward delimitation has been completed. There is thus no substantive impediment to holding the elections.</p>.<p>What followed is, therefore, all the more troubling. In a volte-face, the SEC has now aligned itself with the state government in seeking additional time from the Court, citing the ongoing national Census, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and staff constraints. </p><p>This reversal inflicts serious damage on the credibility of an institution constitutionally mandated to function with independence and impartiality. An election commission that retreats under apparent governmental pressure does not resemble an autonomous authority. </p>.No excuses: Bengaluru can’t afford poll delay.<p>The SEC’s obligation was to inform the Court whether it was prepared to conduct the elections. It had no business parroting the government’s position. This invites uncomfortable questions about institutional integrity. The SIR argument, in particular, is unconvincing. Electoral roll revisions are a continuous administrative process; if their completion becomes a precondition for elections, urban local body polls could be deferred indefinitely.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, Bengaluru suffers the consequences of prolonged “officer raj”. Without an elected civic body, accountability has weakened, governance has become increasingly opaque, and citizens have been denied democratic representation in decisions affecting roads, drains, waste management, and urban planning. </p><p>The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that SECs carry a constitutional duty to conduct local body elections on schedule. If the Commission itself undermines that obligation, the foundations of grassroots democracy are imperilled. The Court must treat this apparent institutional collusion with the seriousness it warrants. </p><p>Constitutional mandates cannot be subordinated to administrative convenience or political calculation. It is even more disturbing when the very institution entrusted with safeguarding electoral democracy appears complicit in its subversion.</p>
