Lakshmana Venkat Kuchi
Politics over Bengaluru and its control heated up in the Karnataka assembly on Tuesday even as the treasury benches managed to pass the Great Bengaluru Authority Bill 2025 seeking to reform the administration of the capital city.
The Bill would only empower the Chief Minister to control the five corporations that are functioning in the city, charged the opposition BJP as it lashed out against the Bill and described it as “undemocratic and against the spirit of the decentralisation of powers to the urban local bodies.”
Its intention is to control give city corporations and destroy their autonomous powers, asserted leader of Opposition in the house, R Ashok.
All the other BJP leaders too echoed similar sentiments and declared the division of erstwhile single city corporation into five corporations as “unconstitutional”, and said the GDA was disempowering the local bodies. Questioning the formation of GDA, which only centralised powers in the hands of the Chief Minister.
After heated exchanges and arguments, the ruling party managed to get the Bill, piloted by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru Development Minister, passed, but with an amendment. He explained the reasons behind the amendment, saying some people had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the court, which has been rejected. Still, the government included the amendment to clarify that “the GBA will not interfere in the functioning of the corporations”, to avoid any confusion in future, Shivakumar said.
“Our intention is that the Mayor and councillors must have full powers in the corporation as per the Constitution,” Shivakumar said, dismissing the BJP allegations.
He emphasised that the government does not intend to politicize Bengaluru’s governance. “We do not want to do politics over Bengaluru’s future. The government will not interfere with financial independence, tax collection, elections, or reservation. The 74th amendment has been fully protected,” he stated.
Further notification of the Bill is expected by August 25 after seeking the Governor’s permission.
