BBMP polls: Traffic jams, chaos, anarchy

Ananth no show in civic poll process

Bengaluru: In what is perhaps for the first time since he became such a fixture in Karnataka’s BJP, the Ananth Kumar camp that has called the shots in the BJP city unit, has taken a back seat, playing virtually no role in the selection of candidates for the BBMP polls or in the consultations that he has, on previous occasions, been a vital part of. “In the beginning, we anticipated that Mr Kumar and former deputy chief minister R. Ashok would step in and take charge of the selection process as they have in the past. This time,  while Mr Ashok intervened here and there, his ‘interference’ was negligible,” sources said.

Instead, it was D.V. Sadananda Gowda who wangled a Lok Sabha nomination from Bengaluru North last year in the teeth of opposition from the BJP, who had a bigger say in bringing in his candidates from wards that come under assembly segments represented by rival party MLAs, than long-time BJP leader Ananth Kumar whose hold over the city is legendary. Sources said that Mr Kumar, who is trying hard to win the confidence of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah, has already been made the Bihar assembly election in-charge.

“This is a major responsibility for him. It seems he does not want any wrong message to go to Delhi that he was more invested in Bengaluru than Bihar. That’s why he maybe distancing himself.” However sources said that Mr Kumar, who has a record number of wins from the city may not want to oversee a city poll that the BJP may not even win. Others however said that Mr Kumar was no longer in the inner circle. Mr Kumar was close to former deputy prime minister L.K. Advani who has been largely sidelined.

Congress promise: Greater Bengaluru, after all

With the BBMP election around the corner, Bengaluru is, quite literally, overflowing with promises. The civic situation has left a lot wanting, with citizens keeping up an unending war cry for better roads, sewage systems and a workable solid waste management system.

The Congress party has left no stone unturned in its election manifesto, even promising to form the Greater  Bengaluru Authority for better administration. With this, the party has clearly kept its options open over the much-debated plan to split or trifurcate the city. Only time will tell if these are just tall promises,  like so many others that have been made in the past during the heat of election campaigns.  

Speaking to reporters at the release of their party manifesto here on Monday,  Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Dr G. Parameshwara asserted that the proposed GBA will include the jurisdiction of Tumakuru, Kolara, and  Ramanagara districts. “All matters pertaining to planning of sewer lines, electricity supply, transport and housing department will be part of this Authority, which will plan and execute various projects under a single umbrella,” he said.

In a bid to provide better connectivity to these districts, the KPCC president asserted that the Congress party would construct two important flyover connecting North and South parts, while another would connect the eastern and western parts of the city. “This is besides interlining railway stations as well as launching Mono rail project,” he explained.

It’s not just civic administration – the Congress seems to have aligned itself with the city’s cosmopolitan culture by publishing the manifesto in five languages - Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Urdu and English.

Other highlights of the manifesto:

• 40 flyovers connecting 40 crucial traffic junction in the city
• Metro - 2 reach to be extended to elamangala, Devanahalli, Hosakote and Somanahalli