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Infra work derails in Bengaluru, residents voice discontent
Several users even challenged chief minister Bommai to accompany them on a Bengaluru tour to get a sense of the trouble people are going through
With the infrastructure in Bengaluru crumbling following heavy rains since October and with chief minister Basavaraj Bommai busy campaigning for the October 30 bypolls, angry residents on Sunday took to social media to apprise the chief minister the problem they are facing. Several users even challenged the chief minister to accompany them on a city tour to get a sense of the trouble people are going through.
A twitter user ‘BangaloreRepair’ tweeted, “Dear Mr B Bommai, we challenge you to come with us on a tour of Bangalore (not CBD) and realize what the citizens are going through. From pothole-ridden roads to no streetlights, from dusty air to garbage-laden roads. Your day, your time, your vehicle. Just our pitstops and destinations(sic).”
Bommai is currently touring the poll-bound Hanagal and Sindgi constituencies. For the past five days, the chief minister has been campaigning in these constituencies along with his predecessor BS Yediyurappa. The tour has affected development works in the city since the chief minister holds the portfolio of Bengaluru development.
A Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) official on Sunday said several review meetings which were to be headed by the chief minister now stands postponed. “While the development works are underway, but the urgency with which the development works started after rains has died down due to election campaign,” the official said.
Meanwhile, on social media, people continued to pose challenges to the chief minister. People have been posting videos and pictures of their areas to show the kind of hardship they all must endure on a daily basis, under the hashtag #ChallengeTheCM.
The two assembly constituencies fell vacant after CM Udasi, the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader died on June 8 while MC Managuli, another senior Janata Dal (Secular) leader died earlier in January. Hangal falls in his home district Haveri and a victory in this constituency is important for him since it’s the first election after taking over as the chief minister. Hanagal is a constituency located in the Haveri district which is the home district of Bommai and neighbours his own assembly constituency of Shiggaon in the Haveri district.
Bommai has sought votes for BJP citing development works by the government like irrigation and water resources projects implemented in the two seats and in the names of PM Narendra Modi and Yediyurappa.
“As much as the chief minister has emphasized on how Yediyurappa is his political guru, he is keen on proving his potential. He is aware that any loss would affect him as well. Generally, the ruling party wins elections in Karnataka, but the CM is not taking chances,” said a north Karnataka-based legislator.
But it is not just the chief minister who is taking the bypolls seriously. Apart from a few ministers like CN Ashwath Narayan, N Munirathna, and CV Nagesh, others have been camping in Sindgi and Hangal for the past one week. A team of four ministers each headed by Govind Karjol and Murugesh Nirani as in charge of Sindgi and Hangal and 20 MLAs have also been deployed for campaigning.
Meanwhile, BBMP officials claim that the latest deadline given for filling the potholes might not be completed in time due to the rains. Senior BBMP officials said that filling potholes, which has been a major concern for the citizen, will be completed only after rains have completely stopped.
