Bengaluru: The govt will likely issue the final notification for the formation of five new municipal corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) on Tuesday, marking a major restructuring of the city’s civic administration while also posing significant challenges for political parties. The period for the public to object to GBA proposals ended Saturday, and the final notification will pave the way for significant opportunities for aspiring politicians since restructuring will result in a staggering 450 corporators, given that each corporation is expected to average 90 wards. Bengaluru West Corporation will be the largest with 117 wards, while Bengaluru East will have only 67 — the least. Political analysts estimate that the upcoming elections could see 1,350 candidates from the three major parties — Congress, BJP, and JD(S) — alone, assuming the BJP-JD(S) alliance fields candidates independently. Several smaller parties and thousands of independent candidates are expected to enter the fray, making the electoral process humungous. Stakeholders see this as a significant opportunity for younger political aspirants to make their debut in public life. “Bengaluru city will be a great launch pad for a new breed of politicians,” said Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad, who chaired the joint legislative committee that vetted the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill. “The city has plenty of young talent and new faces will change the very flavour of state politics. Some of them will grow to become MLAs and MPs and will play a big role in state politics.” The nature of civic polls is also considered strategic, especially since securing party tickets for assembly or Parliament elections has become increasingly difficult. With each ward comprising only around 30,000 voters, the logistical and financial burden on candidates is significantly lower than in higher-stakes elections. This lower entry barrier is expected to encourage more youngsters to contest. However, political parties face a tough task in selecting suitable candidates due to reservation mandates — 50% for women, 27% for OBCs, and 24% for SCs/STs. On the administrative front, the formation of five new corporations will require the govt to create 1,580 new posts, including 979 engineers and several senior positions such as additional and joint commissioners. The estimated cost for salaries alone stands at Rs 161 crore. “It is a challenge since each ward requires an assistant engineer, while an assembly segment should have two assistant engineers,” said Ramalinga Reddy, transport minister and senior politician from the city. “At present, about 50 of the existing 198 wards have no engineers, while there are other positions vacant across BBMP. However, there is a comprehensive plan in place to address this.” Opposition leaders have voiced concerns about the rollout, warning of potential political and administrative disruption if the restructuring is not managed carefully. “This is being done in the guise of decentralisation, but the result will be centralisation with GBA taking over a supervisory role over the corporations,” said CN Ashwath Narayan, BJP MLA and former deputy chief minister.
