Bangalore gearing up to get bigger
	Bangalore: Bangalore, one of the largest and fastest growing metros in the country, hasn't been ruled by an elected body or corporator for three months now. Ever since the Bangalore city corporation's term ended in November, Bangalore has been governed by a few IAS officers and the council won't see any elected representatives for at least another five months. "The old body is no more in existence, it's now the Bengaluru Gram Mahanagar Palika. They should first amend the law and issue a notification fixing the number of wards, whether it is 135 or 150, and then carve out the constituencies," says State Election Commissioner, M R Hegde. Before Bangalore becomes Bengalooru, it's becoming Bruhat Bangalore or greater Bangalore. Eight major municipal bodies around Bangalore will be merged into the city and areas in the suburbs like ITPL, Whitefield and Krishnarajapuram will become part of Bangalore. But while Election Commission officials are busy re-defining municipal wards, civic NGOs aren't sure it's such a good idea. "I have my reservations about it. In the short run, the surrounding areas will see infrastructure improving. But there's no getting away from the fact that whatever the agenda is, you have to conduct elections," says civic activist Ramesh Ramanathan. The move has also got the opposition Congress wondering about the motives of the Kumaraswami government. "They are dragging it in the name of Greater Bangalore. This is wrong and undemocratic," says Congress President Mallikarjuna Kharge. Greater Bangalore will take Bangalore's population from 75 lakh to over 90 lakh people and none of the people have been able to vote for someone to take their civic problems to. So the question now is — who's responsible for the chaos in everyday problems?