Five corporations, one authority, and no councillors yet.
BBMP was dissolved in September 2025. Its work is being divided between five new city corporations and a Greater Bengaluru Authority chaired by the Chief Minister. Some of it has moved. Some still runs on BBMP's systems. The first elections are due by 31 December 2026.
ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಕೆಲಸ ದೇವರ ಕೆಲಸDrag to turn the city. Tap a ward to look it up.
- Central63 wards
- North72 wards
- South72 wards
- East50 wards
- West112 wards
The line so far
Six years without an elected council. The last stretch is still under construction.
- 2015Last BBMP council elected
- Sep 2020Council's term ends; officials run the city
- May 2025Greater Bengaluru Governance Act in force
- Sep 2025BBMP dissolved; five corporations formed
- Mar 2026First separate budgets, approved by the GBA
- Aug 2026Draft voter roll drops 46.88 lakh names
- By 31 Dec 2026Corporation elections, as ordered by the Supreme Court
What has moved, and what hasn't
23 parts of city government, checked against news reports, court records and research up to September 2026. Select any item to see what is happening and where it comes from.
5Moved
4Underway
5Still on BBMP systems or unchanged
5Stuck or contested
4Not yet
UnderwayElections
Voter roll revision (SIR)
The draft roll lists about 57 lakh voters, down from about 1.03 crore. 46.88 lakh names are flagged for deletion.
Draft roll published 24 August 2026; claims and objections closed 23 September; final roll due 27 October. Most deletions are marked 'shifted from place of residence', which hits renters and migrants hardest. The roll is still organised by the old 'BBMP (North/South/Central)' election districts, with deletion rates of 45 to 49 percent. Anyone left out can apply with Form 6 on the Election Commission portal or ECINET app; helpline 1950.
As of 2026-09
All 23 rows, with sources and data download
MovedStructureGreater Bengaluru AuthorityIn place. A 75-member authority chaired by the Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar since June 2026.
The Act came into force on 15 May 2025 and the GBA began functioning fully on 2 September 2025, when BBMP ceased to exist. Members include MPs, MLAs, ministers, future mayors and heads of parastatals; the Bengaluru Development Minister is vice-chair and M. Maheshwar Rao is Chief Commissioner. Of roughly 70 to 75 members, only the five mayors will represent the corporations.
As of 2026-06
MovedStructureFive city corporationsFormed on 2 September 2025. Each is run by an IAS commissioner; none has an elected council yet.
Central (78 sq km), North (158), South (147), East (168) and West (161), about 712 sq km in all. Commissioners: Rajendra Cholan (Central), Sunil Kumar P. (North), Ramesh K.N. (South), D.S. Ramesh (East), Rajendra K.V. (West). The Act allows up to seven corporations.
As of 2026-06
UnderwayStructureStaff split from BBMPBBMP's staff were redistributed, but the new system is about 4,900 people short of its sanctioned strength.
BBMP had 18,790 employees against 22,411 sanctioned posts. The new set-up needs 23,689: 314 at the GBA, 107 at B-SMILE (the infrastructure company), and 2,163 to 4,315 in each corporation. Sanitation workers (16,807) are the largest group. New hiring is planned in finance, town planning, IT, legal, public health, survey and revenue; the extra wage bill is about Rs 137 crore a year.
As of 2025-09
MovedElectionsWard boundaries and reservations369 wards notified, up from 198. Reservations notified in January 2026, with half the wards reserved for women.
Ward counts: Central 63, North 72, South 72, East 50, West 112 (some official sources give 111 for West and 368 overall after a late merger). Wards are reserved across General, SC, ST and OBC categories. Voter numbers per ward vary widely: some central wards have under 10,000 voters while Yelahanka and Byatarayanapura average over 20,000.
As of 2026-08
Not yetElectionsCorporation electionsNot held. The Supreme Court deadline has moved three times and now stands at 31 December 2026.
The deadline was 30 June 2026, then 31 August, then 31 December, to allow the electoral roll revision to finish. The state has said polls will be held within a month of the final roll (due 27 October 2026). The last civic election was in 2015; the council's term ended in September 2020.
As of 2026-08
UnderwayElectionsVoter roll revision (SIR)The draft roll lists about 57 lakh voters, down from about 1.03 crore. 46.88 lakh names are flagged for deletion.
Draft roll published 24 August 2026; claims and objections closed 23 September; final roll due 27 October. Most deletions are marked 'shifted from place of residence', which hits renters and migrants hardest. The roll is still organised by the old 'BBMP (North/South/Central)' election districts, with deletion rates of 45 to 49 percent. Anyone left out can apply with Form 6 on the Election Commission portal or ECINET app; helpline 1950.
As of 2026-09
Not yetElectionsMayors and councilsNo mayor, deputy mayor or councillor in any corporation. Commissioners take all decisions.
Once elected, mayors will serve 30 months (BBMP mayors served one year). Even then, appointed commissioners hold most executive power under the Act.
As of 2026-09
MovedMoneySeparate budgetsEach corporation presented its first budget for 2026-27, about Rs 20,216 crore combined, approved by the GBA rather than an elected council.
Presented in March 2026 by the commissioners. West (Rs 4,732 cr) and North (Rs 4,341 cr) are the largest; the other three are under Rs 4,000 cr each. About 60 percent goes to public works and 11.4 percent to solid waste; education and the council get under 1 percent each. Combined budgets have roughly doubled from about Rs 10,000 cr a few years ago, but income has not kept pace; corporations historically collect 80 to 90 percent of projected revenue.
As of 2026-03
Stuck or contestedMoneyRevenue across corporationsUneven. West expected Rs 943 crore from two new schemes and has earned nothing; it has paused capital works until December.
West projected Rs 380 cr from premium FAR and Rs 563 cr from B-khata to A-khata conversion; it earned Rs 0 from both. North earned Rs 250 cr from FAR and Rs 80.76 cr from conversions. Property tax so far: East about Rs 870 cr, West Rs 631 cr, North Rs 553 cr. West carries about Rs 1,000 cr in bills pending since February 2024 and is struggling to pay salaries, while running the most parks (496), referral hospitals and schools.
As of 2026-07
Stuck or contestedMoneySpending what was budgetedSlow. In the first seven months, Central and West spent under half their allocations.
In 2025-26 (after the split), North used the most of its budget; East and South used about 65 percent; Central and West under 50 percent. When income falls short, education, welfare and health are cut first. The 2025-26 BBMP budget was re-divided in September 2025, with West getting the largest share and North, South and Central Rs 313 to 367 crore each.
As of 2026-03
Still on BBMP systems or unchangedMoneyBBMP's unpaid billsInherited. Contractors' bills from the BBMP era are being paid by the new corporations, well past the usual two-year cycle.
West alone has about Rs 1,000 crore pending from February 2024 onwards. In September 2026 the state contractors' association set a November deadline over Rs 38,000 crore pending across eight state departments, and threatened to stop work.
As of 2026-09
MovedPlanningCity planning powersMoved from BDA to the GBA: the master plan, land-use changes, layouts and TDR for about 719 sq km.
Decided at the first GBA meeting on 11 October 2025. BDA keeps planning powers for roughly 400 to 500 sq km on the periphery. Corporations approve individual building plans within the zoning rules. The GBA also approved preparing a new master plan; Bengaluru has had no valid master plan for about a decade.
As of 2025-10
Stuck or contestedPlanningBuilding plan approvalsSplit across five corporations with different processes. Approvals and occupancy certificates stalled for about two months in mid-2026.
Small residential plots (up to 50x80 ft) can get automatic approval under the 'Nambike Nakshe' scheme; Central promises same-day and East 15-day processing. But by August 2026, building plan approvals, occupancy certificates and land-use change meetings had stalled for about two months; developers blamed the government change and fragmented processes, officials cited roll-revision duty.
As of 2026-08
UnderwayServicesGarbage collectionBeing handed back from the state's waste company (BSWML) to the corporations. Service is patchy.
In August 2025, after Bengaluru ranked among the dirtiest cities in Swachh Survekshan, the state took door-to-door collection away from BSWML. In June 2026, 200 to 300 collection vehicles were missing daily and corporations were considering buying auto-tippers themselves. In September 2026 the High Court questioned the GBA's segregation claims (petitioners say 35 to 40 percent) and asked where 7,500 tonnes of daily waste goes.
As of 2026-09
Still on BBMP systems or unchangedServicesProperty tax paymentCollected by your corporation, but paid on the old BBMP portal, bbmptax.karnataka.gov.in.
Rates are set by the state government in consultation with the GBA. Corporations expect Rs 4,378 crore in property tax in 2026-27, up from Rs 3,815 crore revised for 2024-25.
As of 2026-05
UnderwayServicese-khata (digital property record)About 8 lakh of an estimated 21 lakh properties have one. Conversions from B-khata to A-khata have been slow.
An e-khata is required to sell, register or borrow against property. In 2025, about 26,000 owners got tax notices after e-khata details were matched with tax records. The B-to-A conversion scheme drew 1,169 applications in its first week (Nov 2025), and 98 percent of early applications were pending for missing documents. The GBA is opening passport-style seva kendras and weekly 'Namma e-khata' open houses (from May 2026), and an online flow went live in April 2026.
As of 2026-05
Still on BBMP systems or unchangedServicesCivic complaintsStill on BBMP's Sahaaya 2.0 app and the 1533 helpline. A cross-agency 'Sahaaya Plus' is being built.
In July 2026 the GBA said Sahaaya Plus would track complaints across the corporations, BWSSB, BDA and BMRCL, including those raised on social media. No launch date has been given.
As of 2026-07
Still on BBMP systems or unchangedServicesTrade licencesIssued centrally by the GBA, reportedly on BBMP's old IT system.
The 2026-27 renewal window ran 1 to 28 February 2026, with a 25 percent penalty in March and 100 percent from April. Licences can be taken for one to five years. Source is a practitioner guide, not an official notice; verify before relying on it.
As of 2026-02
Still on BBMP systems or unchangedServicesWater and sewageUnchanged. Still BWSSB, a separate state board. The GBA only coordinates.
Parastatals were told at the first GBA meeting to appoint contact points at corporation and zone level. Many areas added to the city in 2007 still rely on tankers and borewells. BWSSB helpline: 1916.
As of 2025-10
Stuck or contestedServicesStreet vendingContested. A July 2026 footpath drive removed vendors; the state promised a fresh survey and provisional vending committees.
The Bengaluru Development Minister said vending on main roads would not be allowed, citing pedestrian safety. The government agreed to a new vendor census, to review the ration-card requirement, and to set up provisional Town Vending Committees ahead of elections to them. Many vendors are still waiting for ID cards.
As of 2026-07
Not yetParticipationWard committeesCan't work as the Act intends until councillors are elected, since councillors chair them. Their role is advisory.
Since 2020, ward-level meetings have been run by nodal officers, with reports of MLAs stepping in and low attendance. Area sabhas, the neighbourhood tier in the 2020 BBMP Act, were dropped from the final GBG Act.
As of 2025-09
Stuck or contestedParticipationHow experts rate the ActJanaagraha scored it 3.4 out of 10, better than BBMP's Act on finance and staffing, weaker on planning, leadership and participation.
Janaagraha assessed 33 parameters (August 2025) and scored transparency, accountability and participation at 2.36/10. It recommends a full-term mayor-in-council, funded ward committees, mandatory area sabhas and open data. ORF's Ramanath Jha argues the Act centralises power with the state; PRS flags the CM chairing both the GBA and the planning committee.
As of 2025-09
Not yetCourtsCourt challenge to the ActPending in the Karnataka High Court. Petitioners argue the Act violates the 74th Amendment on local self-government.
WP 17336/2025 and connected matters (T.S. Nagabharana and others, argued by Prashant Bhushan) ask the court to strike down eleven sections, including those creating the GBA, and to order elections. Heard by the Chief Justice's bench in July 2026; no ruling reported.
As of 2026-07
The five, in numbers
Same city, very different corporations. Each column has its own scale.
East has the fewest voters and the highest spend per voter, about Rs 37,400 each. West has the most voters and the lowest, about Rs 17,400.
Registered voters are from the roll before the 2026 revision.
Sources: Wikipedia: 2026 Greater Bengaluru Authority elections (wards, voters); Wikipedia: Greater Bengaluru Authority (area); OpenCity: Analysis of GBA budgets 2026-27; ThePrint: South corporation's Rs 3,825.95 crore budget; News First: Central corporation's Rs 3,426.61 crore budget; News Karnataka: East corporation's Rs 3,890 crore budget
Where the money goes
Combined 2026-27 budgets of the five corporations, about Rs 20,216 crore.
- Public works60%
- Solid waste11.4%
- Everything else27.6%
- Education<1%
- Council<1%
Approximate shares. Education and the council each get under 1 percent.
West corporation: budgeted against earned
Two new revenue schemes, Rs crore, 2026-27 so far.
Premium FAR
B-khata to A-khata
Staff for the new system
Employees and posts across the GBA and the five corporations.
Sources: Deccan Herald: GBA system needs more staff (Sep 2025)
Properties with an e-khata
8.2 lakh of about 21 lakh properties
Who gets to vote in the first elections
The 2026 roll revision, in lakh voters, and the share of names flagged in each election district.
The election districts still carry BBMP's name. Flagged names can be restored with Form 6.
Sources: Deccan Herald: 46.88 lakh names flagged for deletion; ThePrint: Why urban centres see high deletions during SIR
What it means on your street
One resident in each corporation, and what the transition means for them right now.
Rents a flat in Bellanduru and commutes on the Outer Ring Road.
Bengaluru East City Corporation
46.88 lakhnames flagged for deletion from Bengaluru's draft voter roll, most marked 'shifted'
What changed for them
She lives in one of the East corporation's 50 wards. When elections happen she votes for her ward's councillor, and the council elects a mayor for 30 months.
What is actually happening
The roll revision that decides who votes in those elections cut Bengaluru's draft list from about 1.03 crore names to 57 lakh. Renters who have moved are the most likely to be dropped. Her daily problems sit with bodies she can't vote out: water with BWSSB, and the ORR with a Rs 450 crore rebuild from Silk Board to KR Puram and Rs 629 crore of stormwater drain work in the East budget.
What to do now
- Search for her name on the Election Commission's voter portal or the ECINET app. If it's missing, file Form 6 with her current address (helpline 1950). The final roll is due on 27 October.
- Take water and sewage problems to BWSSB (1916), not the corporation.
- Ask the East corporation's ward office for the work orders on the ORR and drain projects near her.
Composite characters, not real people. Every fact about their situation comes from the tracker above; we will test them against survey responses and interviews.
What changed
More corporations and longer mayoral terms, but more power with the state government, and one layer of citizen participation gone.
Based on PRS Legislative Research's analysis of the Bill; under review by our Desk Research team.
We look at every change through three questions.
- Participation
- Can citizens shape decisions? Ward committees stay; area sabhas are gone.
- Autonomy
- Can elected corporations act on their own? Many decisions now need state or GBA approval.
- Accountability
- Is it clear who answers for what? Five corporations plus parastatals like BDA and BWSSB can blur this.
Concerns experts have raised
- The Chief Minister chairs both the GBA and the planning committee, concentrating power with the state.
- The state can dissolve an elected corporation on broad grounds.
- Appointed commissioners, not elected mayors, hold most executive power.
Find your ward
Search for your area, or tap the map.
Pick a ward on the map, or search for one, to see who it belongs to.
- Central 63
- North 72
- South 72
- East 50
- West 112
Boundaries are simplified. If you live near one, confirm with your corporation office.
Who to ask
Your corporation handles most day-to-day civic work, but several services are run by separate state bodies. Pick a problem.
A pothole on my street
Your city corporation.
Main arterial roads and projects that cross corporations involve the GBA.
Tell us what you see
We are surveying residents on how they experience civic services and what they know about the GBA. The findings will be published here.
About 5 minutes. Answers are anonymous unless you choose to be interviewed.
About this project
Decoding Civic Governance in Bengaluru is a project of the Global Shapers Bengaluru II Hub, a community of young people under the World Economic Forum. We are studying how the new Act affects citizens compared with BBMP, through participation, autonomy and accountability.
This is an independent explainer, not an official government source. Always confirm with the relevant authority.