more-in Bengaluru’s new Mayor Gangambike and Deputy Mayor R. Ramila are from the core city area. This has been a trend ever since the BBMP was formed in 2010 to include seven City Municipal Councils (CMC), one Town Municipal Council (TMC) and 110 villages. Of the nine mayors and deputy mayors since then, only one mayor and two deputy mayors were from the newly added areas. The rest were from the core city area, clearly indicating that they dominates local politics. Those residing in the ‘newly’ added areas feel the divide, which is not limited to just political circles but also governance. Jagadish Reddy from Varthur Rising recalled that prior to the merger, they were governed by a gram panchayat which had 21 representatives to ensure that administration was closer home. “Now with BBMP, there is one councillor for eight villages with a population of over 1.5 lakh. BBMP is so far away from us that, effectively, there is no administration here,” said Mr. Reddy. Prof. S.K. Sangunni from Yelahanka questioned the inclusion of outer areas into BBMP, which he believes has marred their interests. “There is a lack of focus on the issues we face due to lack of political representation. This is particularly problematic because the population inside the ring road is now less than 50% of the total and stable, whereas the population outside is growing rapidly.” “As a result, the outer wards are already under-represented, with more citizens per ward than the inner ones,” said activist Ashwin Mahesh. A case for restructuring and reforms The BBMP Restructuring Committee has recommended that the civic body be divided into multiple corporations to decentralise administration. Public consultations by the committee in 2015 found widespread support in the outer zones for this proposal compared to the core city. Narasimha Nayak, a councillor from Bagalagunte, a newly-added area, said, “Political parties cannot be legally compelled to give mayor or deputy mayor posts to particular areas. But these areas feel left out.” Residents suggest many reforms within the BBMP structure too. Jagadish Reddy, for instance, recommended that zonal committees of councillors from a particular zone be formed, with a chairman. These committees can be given fiscal independence, he added. Prof. Sangunni suggested that a deputy mayor be elected from each zone. Another idea is akin to rotational reservation for social groups where the mayor and deputy mayor posts be reserved for zones on rotation to ensure wider political representation.

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