Saffron wave chokes City

Saffron wave chokes City
DH News Service,Bangalore:
The saffron wave that took over the Central Business District (CBD) of the City on Monday also translated into long traffic pile-ups.

Traffic diversions were in place as early as 11 am and continued till around 3 pm, but even alternate roads reeled under the piling traffic.
Thousands of BJP workers, including those who came from outside the City, participated in the swearing-in ceremony of chief minister B S Yeddyurappa at the Vidhana Soudha, choking many thoroughfares and approach roads in the CBD. Cubbon Road, Queen’s Road, Ambedkar Veedhi, Raj Bhavan Road and Kasturba Road were among the worst-hit, with the pressure felt on Palace Road and Bellary Road as well.
At many junctions, including the M G Road-Queen’s Road intersection, digital signals were turned off and traffic policemen took over the monitoring manually.
Rally by walk
There was some respite for the motorists, however, with thousands of partymen walking the distance from the Mekhri Circle direction towards the Vidhana Soudha on the footpaths, as against the general practice of taking rallies on the road. However, that still wasn’t enough to ensure a jam-free traffic.
After the swearing-in ceremony, the action shifted to Kumara Krupa Road, when top BJP leaders came together for lunch at Hotel Grand Ashok.
Traffic from the Mekhri Circle side and High Grounds side was mildly hit till around 3 pm, with leader after leader - complete with their security teams - arriving at the hotel.