Bengaluru: The state govt’s proposal to conduct elections to all local bodies in a single phase is gaining traction, with many stakeholders pointing out that it would reduce election expenditure and ease voting processes for citizens. The idea was mooted Monday by deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, who suggested that elections to the five Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) corporations, and zilla, taluk and gram panchayats elections could be conducted together. The proposal is now under active consideration, with the rural development and panchayat raj (RDPR) department beginning preparatory work to synchronise rural local body elections. “It so happens that ZP/TP and GP elections may align with municipal elections. It is an idea that is being considered. We are looking into it,” said RDPR minister Priyank Kharge. Former state election commissioner (SEC) B Basavaraju said the concept is feasible and carried clear financial and administrative advantages, besides reducing manpower required for municipal elections. “The advantages are considerable and disadvantages negligible,” said Basavaraju. “It will help the govt cut costs and people in rural areas would not have to step out twice or thrice to vote.” He said with each passing year, costs tend to increase. Sources say, back of the envelope calculations suggest the state could save nearly Rs 150 to Rs 200 crore by conducting all rural local body elections in a single phase. The last gram panchayat elections cost the exchequer between Rs 200 to Rs 225 crore, while zilla and taluk panchayat polls cost about Rs 300 crore. BBMP elections alone had an expenditure of Rs 400 to Rs 450 crore. If all elections are held simultaneously, the combined cost is estimated to be only Rs 340 to Rs 400 crore. Political parties appear open to the idea, citing reduced campaign costs and wider outreach. Congress functionaries said the party was prepared to face simultaneous elections. “We are ready to face all elections simultaneously,” said Saleem Ahmed, MLC and govt chief whip. “Our govt has delivered on promises. The five guarantees and our mantra of development will be our election platform.” BJP, while flagging political contradictions, said the proposal could prevent frequent election cycles from disrupting governance. “The hypocrisy of Congress stands exposed,” said S Suresh Kumar, senior BJP MLA and former minister. “On the one hand it is mooting a ‘one state, one election’, while on the other it is opposing the Centre’s proposed ‘one nation, one election’. We welcome the idea as it helps ensure development does not come to a standstill every time there is an election. However, the govt needs to discuss this idea with all the political parties.” But officials say legal and administrative hurdles remain. “Every municipal corporation or local panchayat has a reservation system and if even one person goes to court, then all elections come to a standstill,” said a minister. “Also, not all gram panchayats terms end at the same time — some tenures end in March 2026. It is a challenging task.” Incumbent SEC GS Sanghreshi said the proposal will be examined in detail before a decision is taken. “The case related to ZP/TP elections is still pending in court and is expected to come up for hearing this month. We will take an informed decision only after studying the entire proposal along with the reservation list,” he said.
