The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is set to distribute 27,655 identification cards to street vendors, aiming to legalize their trade under the Street Vendors Act, 2014. However, a new requirement has sparked controversy, as vendors must now provide a Karnataka-issued ration card along with Aadhaar and voter ID to qualify. This change has left many, particularly migrant vendors, ineligible. Critics argue that vendors who previously secured PM SVANidhi loans without a ration card are now being denied vending certificates. Additionally, the absence of location details on ID cards has resulted in arbitrary evictions, with officials forcibly removing vendors despite their legal status. On Church Street, once home to over 100 vendors, business has suffered after the area was declared a non-vending zone due to resident complaints. Many displaced vendors now operate in metro stations, paying up to ₹1,000 in daily rentals—higher than some shopkeepers. Vendor unions have slammed BBMP’s handling of the issue, citing a lack of awareness among town vending committees. With elections for these committees approaching, those without BBMP-issued IDs will be barred from voting, further sidelining them from decisions impacting their livelihood.