The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) has paused the planned fare hike for Namma Metro that was scheduled to start on February 9, 2026. This decision came amid strong public protests and a political battle between the ruling Congress and BJP in Karnataka. In a media release on Sunday, BMRCL said the earlier notice about fare revision from February 5 was put on hold until further orders. The release stated, “The decision on the revised fare will be communicated after the board’s review,” without giving a clear timeline. The fare revision involved a zone-wise increase of ₹1 to ₹5 across 10 fare zones, based on distance. Although the hike was small, commuters reacted strongly because of last year’s steep fare increase that reached up to 71% after protests and technical corrections. Sources told The Hindu that BMRCL paused the hike following instructions from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. "There has been a communication received from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), hence we have decided to temporarily hold the fare hike. However, the BMRCL Board will review the matter," said a BMRCL official. BJP leaders claimed credit for the fare hike suspension. Tejasvi Surya, Bengaluru South MP, and R. Ashok, Opposition leader in the State Assembly, said the Union government stepped in to stop the fare increase. Tejasvi Surya posted on X, “As assured, BMRCL has put the proposed Metro fare hike on hold from tomorrow. A victory for the people of Bengaluru who have opposed this unjust increase for over a year.” He called it a temporary relief and urged the State government to restore subsidies and appoint a new Fare Fixation Committee for a fair fare review.