Bengaluru draped in Congress colours, but no green signal for giant cutouts near Vidhana Soudha

Bengaluru: Celebrating the swearing-in of DK Shivakumar as chief minister of Karnataka, Congress workers and supporters have put up banners, buntings, and welcome arches across the city.

However, Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and city police are said to have denied permission for the installation of towering cutouts of Shivakumar, outgoing CM Siddaramaiah, and other senior Congress functionaries in the vicinity of Vidhana Soudha and high court, ahead of the swearing-in ceremony at Lok Bhavan Wednesday.

Congress insiders told TOI workers had planned to install 30ft-tall cutouts of Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, and members of the high command along the stretch facing Vidhana Soudha from the HC premises.

“The cutouts had already been designed and readied for installation. Workers had even erected wooden support structures near Dr BR Ambedkar Vidhana Soudha Metro station. However, police and govt authorities declined permission at the last moment, forcing us to dismantle the structures. Since the cutouts cannot be installed in Vidhana Soudha zone, we are now exploring alternative locations in Bengaluru,” said a Congress functionary.

Police officers cited security and traffic management concerns for denying permission. “The stretch between Vidhana Soudha and high court is one of the city’s most sensitive and heavily secured zones. Any temporary structure, particularly large cutouts and flex boards, requires approvals from multiple agencies and is subject to stringent regulations. Given the security arrangements and expected movement of dignitaries and supporters for the swearing-in ceremony, permission for such installations could not be granted,” said a senior police officer supervising preparations for Wednesday’s event.

Despite the restrictions in and around Vidhana Soudha, celebrations were visible across much of Bengaluru. Major roads were adorned with colourful banners, hoardings, and party flags congratulating Shivakumar. Ambedkar Veedhi, the arterial stretch between Vidhana Soudha and HC, was lined with Congress flags, while Ballari Road was decked up with banners and buntings put up by party workers and supporters.

Kanakapura Road, which leads to Shivakumar’s home constituency and passes through south Bengaluru, witnessed some of the most elaborate displays. Large hoardings and flex boards dotted the route at Silk Institute junction, Talaghattapura, Vajarahalli, and Doddakallasandra. Several pillars of Metro’s Green Line corridor between Konanakunte and Jaraganahalli Circle were also covered with giant flexes carrying congratulatory messages and images of the new CM.

HC had ruled against banners, cutouts

The denial of permission for cutouts and hoardings in central areas goes back to longstanding judicial directions against illegal advertisements in Bengaluru.

In 2017, the high court heard a PIL petition filed by Bengaluru resident Mayige Gowda seeking the removal of unauthorised flex boards, posters, and banners from public spaces. The petition also sought implementation of the Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1981, within the then BBMP limits.

In Aug 2018, a division bench headed by the then Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari issued stringent directions after noticing large portraits and flex boards of a prominent minister across the city, and ordered authorities to register FIRs against violators.

The PIL plea was disposed of on Sept 15, 2025, after the civic agency notified the Advertisement ByLaws, 2024. The HC, headed by the then CJ Vibhu Bakhru, directed civic authorities to strictly enforce Bylaw 15, which empowers them to remove unauthorised advertisements and displays.