Problems aplenty in BJP stronghold

Bengaluru: Away from the bustling city centre, constituencies like Padmanabhanagar in South Bengaluru should have been a much sought after residential hub by Bengalureans. That has however not happened and irregular garbage  clearance, parking woes and water shortage are primarily to blame for this.

Padmanabhanagar is where the doyen of Vokkaliga politics and former PM Deve Gowda resides but his party has not had much of luck here in the past two decades with the BJP’s R. Ashok sweeping the polls. Many state and national leaders keep visiting the constituency to meet Mr Deve Gowda-a rare honour  other city constituencies do not enjoy. 

For more than two decades, Padmanabhanagar is being represented by former deputy chief minister Mr Ashok- even after it was carved out of Uttarahalli, with the fervent attempts by the Congress and JD(S) to break the BJP’s stranglehold failing till now. Mr Ashok, who began his political career during the Emergency, won the Uttarahalli by election in 1997 followed by victories in the general elections in 1999 and 2004. 

In 2008,  Padmanabhanagar and 7 other constituencies were carved out of Uttarahalli and since then, Mr Ashok has won the seat twice in 2008 and 2013 and is now gearing up for a hat-trick victory. 

The constituency has eight BBMP wards and not all wards wear a developed look. 

Yediyur ward represented by BJP corporator Ms Poornima Ramesh no doubt has won accolades and has been voted as the best ward in the city as per media ratings but the area also has slums like Ilyas Nagar, Kaveri Nagar and parts of Itmadu which have been neglected and lack basic amenities. 

There are areas here which literally act as dumping yards for bulk garbage generators. 

“The stretch from Banashankari ring road junction towards Kadirenahalli is dotted with food carts which predominantly sell non-vegetarian food. These vendors do not care for cleanliness and dump their waste right next to the ring road after Tipu Sultan Circle,” said Mr Chandrappa a resident and added that the stretch is also used by commuters to relieve themselves causing an unbearable stink all around. Repeated complaints to the civic authorities have fallen on deaf ears, he claims. 

Also, meat vendors and others use the deserted dark stretch to dump their waste during odd hours. 

According to Mr Chandrappa, this is one of the major breeding grounds for street dogs and also a safe haven for mosquito breeding. 

In wards like Ganesh Mandir and Karisandra, parking has become a major problem for residents. With many small commercial establishments mushrooming in the localities, footpath parking has taken away the entire footpath and part of the road too, affecting the movement of pedestrians and the free flow of vehicles.

The constituency has abundant green cover but the frequent uprooting of trees during heavy rain and strong winds is a cause of concern. 

Residents complain that civic bodies do not carry out regular tree trimming nor do they care to root out very old trees.

Pourakarmikas who are supposed to sweep away the leaves and twigs, just make a mound of it and light a fire creating a lot of smoke and the risk of respiratory disorders, say some residents of Yediyur, Karisandra and Padmanabhanagar. Not only burning of leaves, garbage burning too is a major issue here. 

“Near slum pockets in Ilyas Nagar and the area behind Banashankari Bus Station and Kadirenahalli underpass, we can find garbage being burnt regularly,” says a resident. Residents of the constituency are also demanding that police patrolling be beefed up as many chain snatching incidents go unreported. 

As for the acute shortage of water, particularly in the searing summer months, residents have to rely on water tankers and this is one of the major issues faced by people of the constituency. 

Sitting MLA R Ashok was not available for comment on the issues raised by residents. 

With no perceptible wave visible against him in Padmanabhanagar till now, it looks like the BJP’s city strongman will have a smooth ride again-unless of course the Congress or JD(S) can pull off a major upset.