The notification finalises 369 wards across Bengaluru, one more than what was proposed in the draft. The additional ward has been allotted to the Bengaluru West City Corporation.
Published Nov 20, 2025 | 4:48 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 20, 2025 | 4:48 PM
The newly formed Greater Bengaluru Authority assumed charge on 2 September, replacing the now defunct BBMP.
Synopsis: The Karnataka government has issued the final ward delimitation notification for Bengaluru, confirming 369 wards across the five new city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority, raising hopes that the long-pending local body polls will be held soon. The move increases the number of administrative units without altering the city’s overall limits and sets the stage for the reservation process.
The Karnataka government on Wednesday, 19 November, issued the final ward delimitation notification for the five newly formed city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), raising hopes that the long-pending local body elections will be held soon.
The notification finalises 369 wards across Bengaluru, one more than what was proposed in the draft. The additional ward has been allotted to the Bengaluru West City Corporation.
Though this marks a substantial expansion from the 198 wards in the 2015 Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections, the overall jurisdictional area remains unchanged. More and smaller administrative units have been carved out within existing city limits.
The distribution across corporations is as follows:
Local body elections for Bengaluru have not been held since 2020. Citizen groups have repeatedly raised concerns that the absence of elected representatives has weakened transparency and reduced the responsiveness of civic administration.
With the ward delimitation process now complete, the government is expected to begin the reservation exercise, the next step before elections can be announced.
The newly formed GBA assumed charge on 2 September, replacing the now defunct BBMP.
In a previous notification, the state government established the five city corporations covering 721 sq km.
Under the new system, governance is structured in three tiers: the GBA at the apex, the five city corporations at the middle level, and ward committees at the grassroots.
Each ward must represent approximately 20,000 people, based on the 2011 Census with 2023 population projections applied.
Wards also had to remain fully within a single Assembly constituency, maintain community units, and account for terrain in forested or hilly areas.
The delimitation exercise was conducted by the Wards Delimitation Commission, led by M Maheshwar Rao.
The draft was submitted on 30 September and opened for public objections until 15 October. The Commission received 4,892 responses, including 2,965 suggestions for the West Corporation alone.
The final report was submitted on 10 November and was subsequently accepted by the state government.
