Congress Faces Electoral Challenge as Bengaluru Awaits Local Body Polls

As the DK Shivakumar government completes 100 days in office, pressure is mounting on Chief Minister to conduct elections to the Panchayats, Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and other urban local bodies. These would be the first major electoral challenge for the new government. Polls are due for around 6,000 Gram Panchayats, 239 Taluk and 31 Zilla Panchayats, besides five corporations of GBA in Bengaluru. Mahanagara Palike polls are due in Mysuru, Davanagere, Mangaluru, Shivamogga and Tumakuru. The state capital is without an elected body for the last six years. The government has divided Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike to five corporations, which are now part of the GBA. However, certain issues remain unsolved. While Shivakumar took charge as the CM on June 3, Krishna Byregowda took charge of Bengaluru Development portfolio almost two weeks later. Given the issues like potholes, bad roads, bad traffic, polluted lakes, uncleared garbage and other civic issues, facing local body polls in the state capital is a challenge for the ruling Congress. All four Lok Sabha constituencies in Bengaluru (including Bengaluru Rural) are represented by BJP, which also has more number of MLAs in the city. Speaking to The New Indian Express, a senior Congress member said that people in Bengaluru have forgotten the previous BBMP rule. “With many civic issues, they feel frustrated not to have a local councillor. Our government has also made five corporations, we have pressure to win at least three of them which is challenging.