Overview

• An August 26 government order constituted the Greater Bengaluru Authority with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as chair, D.K. Shivakumar as vice-chair, and M. Maheshwar Rao as chief commissioner.
• The BBMP will cease to exist on September 2, when five independent city corporations—North, South, East, West and Central—take charge, each led by its own commissioner and split into two zones.
• The 75-member GBA brings together MLAs, MPs, MLCs, future mayors and commissioners, along with heads of key parastatals such as BDA, BWSSB, BESCOM, BMTC, BMRCL, DULT and BMLTA on a single platform.
• The government recently amended the law to clarify that the GBA will not administer the corporations, even as multiple PILs challenge the model’s constitutionality and courts continue to monitor election-related processes.
• Next steps include forming a delimitation commission on September 3 with an expected finish by November 1, while temporary headquarters for the five corporations have been designated at Hudson Circle, Yelahanka, Mahadevapura, RR Nagar and Jayanagar.