The GBA polls are likely to be held before August 31

Earlier, a proposal to further extend the deadline till December 31, 2026 was considered in the apex court after the court extended the deadline from June 30 to August 31 as a “last chance”.

With DK Shivakumar elevated as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, the much-delayed Bengaluru civic polls are likely to be held on the new date of August 31 fixed by the Supreme Court, several sources in the ruling Congress told The Hindu.

Earlier, a proposal to further extend the deadline till December 31, 2026 was considered in the apex court after the court extended the deadline from June 30 to August 31 as a “last chance”. However, the government is unlikely to go back to court now and is likely to be working towards the August 31 deadline now.

Civic elections in the city have been taking place since September 2020.

A day after the Congress high command on May 26 asked outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to make way for Mr Shivakumar, the latter was scheduled to return to Bengaluru to hold a meeting on the party’s readiness for the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) poll along with Randeep Surjewala, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in charge of the party’s state affairs. “The meeting may not have happened due to unavoidable circumstances. But it shows how Mr. Shivakumar wants to hit the road and hold elections before the Supreme Court date,” said a close aide of the chief minister-designate.

Sources in the Congress said Mr Shivakumar was wary of holding the GBA polls before becoming Chief Minister, fearing that the possibility of an adverse result would undermine his claim to the top seat as he was in charge of both the party and Bengaluru development in the government. He also feared that there could be a power struggle in the polls that would damage the party’s prospects.

“Now that he is the chief minister, he wants to end the GBA polls as part of the ‘honeymoon phase’ and go ahead with the zilla panchayat and taluk panchayat polls. Winning these polls will cement his position as the chief minister,” said the former minister from Bengaluru.

The only concern is holding civic polls during monsoons when road conditions are usually bad. However, sources said that in the next two months, the Mr Shivakumar-led government is likely to pump in money, carry out road works on a war footing and go for elections.

Published – 31 May 2026 21:40 IST