Bengaluru, Dec 15 (IANS) The Janata Dal (Secular) on Monday demanded that the Congress-led state government immediately withdraw the Greater Bengaluru Governance (Amendment) Bill, terming it an insult to democracy and contrary to the Constitution.

JD-S Bengaluru City Unit President H.M. Ramesh Gowda, in a statement, alleged that the proposed ward demarcation under the bill was politically motivated and designed to benefit the Congress party, and warned that such flawed restructuring would adversely affect Bengaluru’s development.

“The government’s move to table this bill is condemnable. It is an attempt to push the legislation at the last minute to gain undue political advantage,” Gowda said.

He cited Article 243R of the Constitution, which mandates that all seats in a municipality shall be filled by persons chosen through direct elections from territorial constituencies within the municipal area, commonly referred to as wards.

Gowda further pointed out that while the Constitution provides for nominated members under Article 243R(2), such members do not enjoy voting rights. He alleged that the government’s proposal to nominate corporators to newly created wards violates constitutional provisions.

“The bill allows the nomination of members at the rate of one per 20,000 population. This is nothing but an insult to democracy. The government must withdraw this bill immediately,” he demanded.

It may be noted that the Greater Bengaluru Governance (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was tabled in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly with the stated objective of providing clarity on the functioning of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and its relationship with existing civic bodies.

As per the provisions of the bill, all elected Members of Parliament and Members of the State Legislative Assembly, whose constituencies or parts of constituencies fall within the jurisdiction of the Greater Bengaluru Authority, will be included as members of the Authority.

The government has maintained that the proposed amendments are aimed at decentralising governance, improving service delivery, and enhancing transparency in Bengaluru’s urban administration.

The amendment also clarifies that mayors and elected corporation members will continue to enjoy full powers as guaranteed under the Constitution, thereby safeguarding the spirit of the 74th Constitutional Amendment, the government has said.

–IANS

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