SEC freezes ward SIR; GBA staff overstretched

The State Election Commission (SEC) kept its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 27 wards under Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) in abeyance.

SEC suspended the operation of its June 19 notification that directed ward-level SIR in 24 wards of Mahadevapura assembly constituency and three wards of Gandhinagar.

The suspension is due to Election Commission of India's ongoing statewide revision exercise and the Supreme Court's directive on GBA elections.

SEC cited that district election officer and GBA chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao stated the election machinery was deployed for ECI's statewide SIR, making parallel revision difficult.

The exercise is not withdrawn or scrapped; SEC reserved the right to revive it after ECI completes its revision.