Bengaluru turns into banner battlefield as flexes, cutouts return with a bang

BENGALURU: With many believing the Governor's nod to the Greater Bengaluru Governance (GBG) Bill will necessitate the much-delayed civic body polls in the tech capital, aspiring political candidates are racing to plaster their face across every available inch of public space with flex-boards, giant cutouts, and banners!
While some cutouts are as tall as 30ft and placed dangerously close to the carriageway at busy traffic intersections, a few flex boards have been placed in such a way that the pavements have become inaccessible to pedestrians and roads have become risky for motorists. Interestingly, these flex boards and cutouts have only festive greetings of birthday wishes. But what is appalling is the stoic silence and inaction by BBMP, traffic police, and the judiciary to the choking of the cityscape.

"The menace of flex is back; it's big this time. From Govindaraj Nagar to Gottigere or from Kadugodi to Kengeri, city roads are dotted with unauthorised flex boards and cutouts. These aren't only an eyesore but also dangerous," said Rohith N, a marketing professional who travels around 70km daily. Moreover, these flex boards and cutouts have become bigger; each has photos of 10-15 supporters cheering for their leader! In fact, just last week, a huge cutout erected on a bridge near Nagarabhavi area collapsed on a car moving on the road below and injured four persons.
But the big question is: Why are these flex boards and cutouts back despite strict warnings from the high court in the past? A senior BBMP official pointed towards elected representatives and claimed helplessness. "The central character in all photos is a minister or an MLA, and what is at play is sycophancy. With many aspirants for councillor posts believing that BBMP polls can't be delayed any further following the Governor's green signal for the GBG Bill, they are rushing to grab attention of the local MLA or minister, to help them secure party ticket. This apart, flexes and banners also increase visibility for aspirants in the run-up to polls," the official said.
In Vjayanagar and Govindarajnagar constituencies, the supporters of sitting MLAs Krishnappa and his son Priyakrishna put up flex boards at important traffic junctions and roads to wish the father-son duo on their birthdays (April 16 and 27, respectively). Priyakrishna had to announce that he wasn't celebrating his birthday in public, given the Kashmir terror attack, and appeal to his men not to overdo things.
In the tech-corridor of Marathahalli-Mahadevapura, flex boards keep cropping up even after being removed following complaints from civilians. On the outskirts, people have come to terms with the menace.
BBMP, despite having a zero-flex policy, hasn't been able to crack down effectively. Erecting flexes or cutouts has been banned since 2018 following a Karnataka high court directive. "We've been cracking down on illegal posters and banners, but we can't afford to antagonise any politician in the current set-up," a BBMP engineer countered when asked why illegal posters and banners aren't pulled down.
According to the civic body, around 11,000 flex boards were removed and Rs 2.7 lakh penalty collected between Aug 1, 2024 and mid-Jan this year.
Recently, BBMP issued a revised SOP where special teams, working with police, would remove illegal advertisements 24x7, register FIRs against offenders, and recover removal costs as property tax dues. Police are directed to assist the BBMP teams and arrest violators, if needed. However, there is no mention of any timeline on when this SOP will come into action.