Citizen Groups Slam ‘Unscientific’ Ward Delimitation in Bengaluru’s Yelachenahalli
Bengaluru, October 13, 2025 — A significant political and civic row has erupted in Bengaluru after the Swaraj India Bengaluru District team and the Ilyas Nagar Residential Welfare Association (IRWA) formally submitted a sharp objection to the Urban Development Department (UDD) against the proposed new ward boundaries for Yelachenahalli. The organizations have strongly condemned the draft delimitation (Ref: UDD 293 BBS 2025), which restructures the existing Ward No. 220-Yelachenahalli, calling it “unscientific, undemocratic, and impractical“.
The objection demands that the Greater Bengaluru Area (GBA) immediately withdraw the current proposal and either retain the existing Ward 220 boundaries or modify them only after a rational, consultative process.
Key Objections Highlight Flaws in Proposal
The joint submission outlines several critical issues, asserting that the new proposal fails to meet essential governance and democratic standards. A primary concern is the loss of compactness and natural identity of the ward. The groups argue that the current Yelachenahalli ward is compact and respects natural boundaries, while the new map introduces “irregular and elongated shapes”.
They also accuse the restructuring of actively fragmenting cohesive neighborhoods like Gnana Mandira Road and JP Nagar pockets, which, they say, weakens community identity. Furthermore, the groups point out a potential democratic erosion, stating that the new map disperses socio-economically weaker sections across multiple wards, thereby diluting their collective voice and representation.
The groups argue that the proposal appears to be in direct violation of the norms set by the state government itself. The objection specifies a breach of G.O. No. UDD 4 MLR 2014, which mandates that wards must be compact, contiguous, and population-balanced.
Lack of Transparency and Consultation Cited
A core grievance against the delimitation process is the alleged lack of consultation and transparency. Swaraj India and IRWA emphasize that the Urban Development Department failed to hold any public meetings or consultations with residents, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), or community representatives before releasing the proposal.
“This delimitation violates the spirit of participatory governance,” stated Gulab Pasha, a social activist and Member of Swaraj India Bengaluru, alongside Vijaykumar Seethappa, President of Swaraj India Bengaluru. “The process must be transparent, scientific, and accountable to the people”.
IRWA representatives, including Tanveer Ahmed Khan, Ameen-E-Mudassir, and Syed Salman, echoed this sentiment. The groups also warned that the proposed restructuring would create an unnecessary administrative and financial burden, leading to new administrative divisions that add cost and complexity without delivering any tangible governance benefits.
Call for a Citizen-Centric Process
Swaraj India and IRWA reaffirmed their commitment to citizen-centric governance and made a firm appeal to the State Government. They called for the government to ensure a delimitation process that is scientific, transparent, and democratic—one that works to “strengthens rather than divides – Bengaluru’s communities”.
The full objection includes both the existing ward map (Ref: UDD 66 BBS 2022) and the new proposed delimited ward maps (Ref: UDD 293 BBS 2025) to illustrate the changes.
Key Quotes
“This delimitation violates the spirit of participatory governance. The process must be transparent, scientific, and accountable to the people.”
“The proposed delimitation [is] unscientific, undemocratic, and impractical.”
“The new map disperses socio-economically weaker sections across multiple wards, diluting their collective voice.”
“The restructuring would create unnecessary new administrative divisions, adding cost and complexity without tangible governance benefits.”
