Parties eye City's big clout

Parties eye City's big clout
DH News Service, Bangalore:
As voting for the first phase of elections to the State Assembly unfolds on Saturday, the battle royale will be in Bangalore...


Having been the biggest gainer in the delimitation process, Bangalore with an expanded constituency base — from the earlier 16 to 28 — has become a political power centre with the three major political parties vying with each other to woo its voters.

With 12.5 per cent of the State’s total constituencies and an electorate of 25.84 lakh in Bangalore, the political parties, which traditionally had been focusing on the countryside during electioneering to tap the enormous rural vote-bank, have changed gears this time round.

It is no surprise then that Bangalore has found a special place in the manifestoes of the major parties. While the Congress has promised a Rs 50,000-crore special infrastr-ucture package, the BJP has announced that it would create a metropolitan development auth-ority and a separate power generation unit for the City if voted to power. Not to be left behind, the JD(S) in its manifesto announced a vision to model the development of Bangalore on that of the Chinese cities — Beijing and Shanghai.

Star campaigners

Star campaigners too made a beeline for Bangalore during the last few days to woo voters. While the Congress airdashed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party national president Sonia Gandhi, the BJP rushed its PM candidate L K Advani and Guja-rat CM Narendra Modi. The 28 Bangalore constituencies are spread over two regions: areas under Bruhat Bangalore Maha-nagara Palike limits and Bang-alore Urban district. Besides, Bangalore Rural district too has four constituencies — Hoskote, Devanahalli, Doddaballapur and Nelamangala.

As many as 330 candidates — among whom are several heavyweights like Ramalinga Reddy, Roshan Baig, Katta Subramanya Naidu, R Ashok and H M Revanna and 162 independents — are in the fray for Bangalore’s 28 constituencies.

Two MLCs Aravind Limbavali and Shobha Karandlaje (both BJP) are also trying their luck to enter the assembly.

Deccan Herald correspondents who during the last two weeks criss-crossed and traversed the length and breadth of the City to assess the trends during the campaign trail, found that in a majority of the constituencies the fight is between the Congress and the BJP, with the Janata Dal (Secular) closely behind.

In Bommanahalli, Basavanagudi, Yeshwantpur, Rajajinagar, Vijayanagar, BTM Layout, Yelahanka, Chickpet, Malleswaram, Byatarayanapura, Gandhinagar, Sarvagnanagar, C V Raman Nagar, Shivajinagar, K R Puram, Mahalakshmi Layout and Hebbal the fight is between the Congress and BJP.

Pulakeshinagar, Govindarajnagar, Dasarahalli and Shantinagar are witnessing straight fights between Congress and JD(S) candidates.

In Bangalore South, Padmanabhanagar, Chamrajpet, Rajajeshwarinagar and Mahadevapura the fight is between the BJP and JD(S). Interestingly, while several former legislators are seeking re-election, only seven former ministers are in the fray in Bangalore.

The Hebbal assembly segment is the only constituency where two former ministers — Katta Subramanya Naidu and H M Revanna — have locked horns.

Rebels from major parties too are in the fray adding to the imponderables. Two-time legislator M Muniswamy is contesting as an independent from Shantinagar assembly segment with television as his symbol. Former legislator K S Sameeulla, who is contesting as an independent candidate in Jayanagar constituency after the Congress denied him a ticket, too is sure to make a difference to the result.

Rajajinagar has the highest number of independents 12, followed by Padmanabhangar 11 and Chamarajpet 10. Yeshwantpur, however, has a lone independent in the fray.

The colour and noise might have gone missing during the electioneering this time round in the City, but it sure will decide who will hold the reins of power.