Congress seeks 2025 electoral rolls for GBA polls amid Supreme Court deadline

The Congress party is pushing for the use of the 2025 electoral rolls in the upcoming elections to five corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), as the current revision of rolls is unlikely to be completed before the Supreme Court-mandated deadline of August 31. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, currently underway, is expected to finish only by October 7, 2026, raising concerns about the feasibility of using updated rolls for the polls.

Party sources indicate that the Congress is also preparing multiple manifestos tailored to each of the five corporations, aiming to address specific local issues. The move comes amid a backdrop of political objections over discrepancies highlighted in the final GBA electoral roll published on April 18. The State Election Commission conducted a door-to-door verification in 27 wards across three corporations to resolve these discrepancies after complaints from various political parties.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president B.K. Hariprasad and Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar reportedly discussed the issue on Wednesday. Party sources said the Election Commission is set to publish the draft electoral roll only on August 5, leaving little time for adoption before the Supreme Court deadline. "We are not sure if it can be accepted in the light of the SC-set deadline," a source said.

The Supreme Court has set August 31 as the deadline to complete the GBA election process, even as the official machinery is engaged in the SIR process. The push for using the older electoral roll is a strategic move by the Congress to avoid delays and ensure the elections proceed as per the court's timeline.

The GBA includes the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and four other city corporations. Elections to these bodies have been pending for several years, and the court's intervention underscores the urgency of the matter. The use of the 2025 rolls would mean that voters who have been added or deleted during the ongoing revision would not be reflected, potentially affecting the electoral outcome.

The Congress's stance reflects a broader political calculation, as the party seeks to balance legal compliance with electoral advantage. The preparation of multiple manifestos indicates a targeted approach to woo voters in each corporation, focusing on local issues such as infrastructure, waste management, and water supply.

The State Election Commission has not yet commented on the Congress's demand. However, sources indicate that the commission is weighing legal and procedural options to ensure the elections are held within the court's deadline while maintaining the integrity of the electoral roll.