House Passes Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill Amid Protest

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Monday approved the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, a move that could lead to the restructuring of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) into multiple city corporations.

- Arun Dev

BENGALURU: The decision, pushed forward by the ruling Congress, faced stiff resistance from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The legislation allows for the division of BBMP into as many as seven separate corporations within the Greater Bengaluru area. It also proposes the creation of a Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to oversee and coordinate city administration. Additionally, it extends the tenure of the mayor and deputy mayor to 30 months.

Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who tabled the bill, defended the decision and said: "We want the decentralisation of power and administration. We are not destroying Bengaluru as some of the opposition members have stated. Instead, we are strengthening it. We want to make Bengaluru strong." He argued that the legislation would provide a new direction for the city.

BJP leaders strongly opposed the move, with Leader of Opposition R Ashoka calling it a violation of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's vision of empowering local bodies. He warned that dividing Bengaluru would set a precedent for similar demands from other regions.

"Dividing Bengaluru will not help us," he asserted.