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Introduction In a decisive intervention aimed at ending prolonged democratic paralysis, the Supreme Court of India has fixed June 30, 2026 as the outer and non-extendable deadline for completing civic elections in Bengaluru. The ruling brings much-needed clarity and finality to elections for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the newly created municipal corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Area (GBA) , which have remained without elected representatives since 2020. Supreme Court’s Directions and Timelines A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued binding directions to the Karnataka government and the State Election Commission (SEC) to adhere strictly to a phased election schedule. Key Deadlines Set by the Court February 20, 2026 : Final publication of ward-wise reservation March 16, 2026 : Publication of final electoral rolls Post-May 26, 2026 : Polling to be conducted after completion of board examinations June 3...

Background of the Dispute A significant constitutional challenge relating to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections has reached the Supreme Court of India , days before polling scheduled for January 15 . A Mumbai-based businessman, Mozam Ali Mir , has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging the Bombay High Court’s dismissal of his Public Interest Litigation (PIL), which alleged mass, arbitrary, and unconstitutional rejection of nomination forms across Mumbai’s 227 electoral wards. The Supreme Court has listed the matter for urgent hearing on Tuesday , barely two days before the elections, underlining the gravity of the allegations and the potential impact on electoral democracy. The Petitioner and Nature of the Challenge Mir’s PIL, originally filed before the Bombay High Court on January 5 , raised concerns about the sanctity of free and fair municipal elections , claiming that returning officers systematically rejected nominations on hyper-technical and no...