The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday extended the deadline for completion of the election process for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) from June 30, 2026, to August 31, 2026, while making it clear that no further extension would be granted.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi passed the order after Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the Karnataka government, sought additional time citing logistical difficulties and shortage of manpower due to the ongoing SIR exercise in the State.
Senior Advocate K. Parameshwar opposed the request, arguing that the earlier extension had been granted based on the State’s categorical assurance that the entire election process would be completed by June 30.
During the hearing, Singhvi submitted that the State had completed all preparatory arrangements for the civic polls but was facing practical difficulties in deploying manpower because of the simultaneous SIR exercise. He sought an extension of at least two to three months. The State Election Commission also supported the request for additional time.
Taking note of the submissions, the apex court granted what it described as a final opportunity and extended the deadline till August 31, 2026.
The Court has been hearing a batch of petitions relating to the long-pending BBMP elections. In January this year, the bench had fixed June 30 as the deadline for concluding the electoral process.
The dispute traces back to a December 4, 2020 judgment of the Karnataka High Court directing the State Election Commission to conduct BBMP elections expeditiously after publication of the final electoral rolls. The Karnataka government subsequently challenged the ruling before the Supreme Court.
The State had argued that elections should be conducted for 243 wards instead of 198 wards, relying on the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Third Amendment Act, 2020, which increased the number of BBMP wards. Earlier, the High Court had upheld the constitutional validity of the amendment while clarifying that it would not apply retrospectively to elections that were already due under Article 243 of the Constitution.
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