Karnataka notifies reservation for 369 wards of new Bengaluru corporations, questions persist over quotas

Karnataka announces ward reservations for Bengaluru's new corporations, but legal challenges loom over quota discrepancies.

The Karnataka government on Saturday (March 8) published the final notification on reservation for the 369 wards of the newly formed five Bengaluru city corporations, marking a significant step towards the long-delayed civic polls.

However, the final notification is likely to be challenged in the court, as the Urban Development Department (UDD) has not changed the percentage in either vertical reservation or the women quota, despite the draft notification drawing widespread criticism over the same.

In the notified ward reservation, only the East City Corporation, which has 50 wards, has got 50% vertical reservation. The Central City Corporation, which has 63 wards, has got 49.2%, and the North City Corporation, which has 72 wards, has got 48.6%. The West and South City Corporations have got 42.8% and 44.4%, respectively.

When it comes to reservation for women, only the West City Corporation has got close to 50% reservation, while the rest have got between 46% and 48%. As per the rules, women’s representation should be 50%

However, the final notification said the reservation committee carefully reviewed all the suggestions and objections in accordance with the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, and the guidelines issued through the Government Order. “After examining them, the committee found that some of the suggestions and objections were valid and made the necessary changes,” the notification said.

It also claimed that the committee ensured that the reservation list follows the prescribed quotas for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, and women, along with the required number of General (non-reserved) seats as per the guidelines.