Bengaluru: Hat-trick for Priya Krishna?

Bengaluru: Govindraj Nagar Assembly constituency in West Bengaluru has the honour of sending to the state Assembly the youngest MLA- Mr Priya Krishna- not once but twice in 2009 and 2013. Mr  Krishna is also one of the richest politicians in Karnataka but when it comes to problems, riches hardly matter for Govindraj Nagar has enough pending issues to make any elected representative sweat it out.

Mr Krishna made his debut in the Lower House beating veteran, V. Somanna of the BJP about a decade ago. Somanna had to vacate the seat after he defected from the Congress to the BJP  but paid the price by losing to the young politician in 2009. This time again, it’s going to be a no holds barred battle between Somanna, who has bagged the BJP ticket for Govindraj Nagar, and Priya Krishna who claims he has done enough good for the constituency to deserve a third stint as MLA.

Mr Krishna’s father and Housing Minister M. Krishnappa, who represents nearby Vijayanagar constituency, has done a lot of  work for the public cause and has gained people’s confidence over the years. The young legislator naturally learnt the art of politics from his father and knows quite well how to stay in touch with the common man and resolve their issues. He is no doubt a favourite among a big section of people here and is a top contender for the seat again.

But there are many who are sceptical about the MLA’s performance over the past nine years for issues like the traffic mess and narrow roads remain unresolved. "The route from Nagarbhavi to Vijayanagar via Byraveshwara nagar, Anubhav Nagar, Moodala palya, Priyadarshini Nagar and Saraswathi Nagar is heavily congested. Not a single step has been taken to solve this problem. In the recent past, traffic on this stretch has gone haywire", said Mr Chethan, a research scholar at Bangalore University while suggesting that the stretch should have been widened which has not happened.

Mr Chethan suggested that a well equipped library on the lines of the Hampi Nagar library be built in the constituency as the areas is dotted with many prestigious educational institutions including ISEC, National Law School, Indian Statistical Institution, Bangalore University and Ambedkar Law College.

Security is also an issue here. With so many students residing here, security has to be beefed up with round the clock patrolling, he said. There have been several chain snatching incidents but they go unreported and this has encouraged the bike-borne miscreants to carry on unhindered.

Proper connectivity to other parts of the city too is a big problem, "New bus routes have to be explored to connect areas like GKW Layout and Subbanna Garden with Vijayanagar Satellite Bus Stand, KR Market, Basavanagudi and Jayanagar", said Mr Raghunath, a resident of Nagarbhavi. He  wanted  the drinking water units providing RO water to citizens at affordable cost, which now exist at Anubhav Nagar and Subbanna Garden, to be expanded throughout the constituency. Also illegal garbage dumping in vacant sites should be checked and strict action should be taken against people indulging in such acts, he added.

The constituency needs a good multi-speciality government hospital like Victoria or Bowring Hospital so that  people do not have to travel far for affordable treatment, said Prema, a resident of Moodala palya. As for the roads, pothole filling is taken up throughout the year but when it starts raining, all the asphalt is washed away, said residents of Canara Bank Colony. Residents of Moodalapalya and Priyadarshini Nagar said they are facing hurdles due to parking of two-wheelers on roads and footpaths and demanded regular traffic police patrolling to put an end to this menace.

So as polling day nears, the big question voters face in Govindraj Nagar is whether the MLA has done all that is possible to deserve a third term? Better connectivity, wider roads and clean water is all Govindraj Nagar is asking for and that’s no far-fetched target for any politician.