The Karnataka government's Urban Development Department has officially unveiled the ward-wise reservation matrix for the upcoming civic body elections in Bengaluru. The notification, published on Thursday, details the seat allocation for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Backward Classes, and the general category across the five newly formed city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority.
Breaking Down the Reservation Numbers
Out of the total 369 wards spanning the five corporations, the reservation breakdown is as follows: 43 wards are earmarked for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates, while 7 wards are set aside for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates. For the Backward Classes, a significant 97 wards fall under Category A (OBC-A), and 24 wards are under Category B (OBC-B). The remaining 198 wards are designated for the general category.
A crucial highlight of this notification is the focus on women's representation. Across all these categories, a substantial total of 176 wards are reserved for women candidates, ensuring significant female participation in the city's governance.
Corporation-Wise Reservation Details
The department provided a detailed corporation-wise split of the reservations:
- Bengaluru Central City Corporation (Total wards: 63): SC: 11, ST: 1, OBC(A): 15, OBC(B): 4, General: 32.
- East City Corporation (Total wards: 50): SC: 7, ST: 1, OBC(A): 14, OBC(B): 3, General: 25.
- West City Corporation (Total wards: 112): SC: 9, ST: 2, OBC(A): 30, OBC(B): 7, General: 64.
- North City Corporation (Total wards: 72): SC: 9, ST: 2, OBC(A): 19, OBC(B): 5, General: 37.
- South City Corporation (Total wards: 72): SC: 7, ST: 1, OBC(A): 19, OBC(B): 5, General: 40.
Public Feedback and Next Steps
The urban development department has opened the floor for public scrutiny. Objections and suggestions from citizens are invited and must be submitted before 5:30 PM on January 23. Individuals or groups wishing to file an objection are required to provide their complete address along with substantiated reasons for their challenge to the published reservation list.
This move marks a critical step in the electoral process for the Greater Bengaluru Authority, setting the stage for the political parties and aspiring candidates to finalize their strategies for the much-anticipated civic polls. The final list, after considering all valid objections, will form the basis for the elections to the city's five municipal corporations.
