Articles by Aruna C Shekhar

When I dropped by the office to see if I could help Citizen Matters with election coverage, I had no idea what to expect. Half an hour into our conversation, I’m asked if I want to interview Uday Garudachar, standing for elections in Chickpet on a BJP ticket. "Does your phone record calls?" Here was a man whose company’s chequered history I'd been following for the last three months while volunteering at Ejipura. And here was the one chance I had to speak to him on record; but my phone had no internal memory for a voice recorder app. I…

Well-spoken, well-read and with previous experience in pushing issues related open governance, solid-waste management and work with the urban poor, Sridhar Pabbisetty,34 from the Loksatta party presents a welcome picture to even the most cynical, and especially to the young and urbane. His knowledge of the history of Hebbal, his keen awareness of its problems stand out, but it's the solutions that he propagates, knowledge of policy, willingness to experiment with technology and commitment to transparency and public participation that really impresses. It remains to be seen what kind of steps will be taken to address the tougher issues of…

Hebbal, once considered the northern endpoint of the city, is now the epicentre of its growth, as Bangalore spreads its tentacle-like flyovers in every direction. The last two decades have seen the conversion of what was essentially a cluster of villages, set apart by Hebbal Lake, into one of Bangalore’s busiest and populated suburbs. As Hebbal turned into a gateway for the new airport, driving land prices up, rents and property rates in the heart of the city have rendered it unlivable for a large population. From private gated community projects to IT ‘parks’, Hebbal has witnessed explosive growth without…

Chickpet constituency, carved out during delimitation from parts of Basavanagudi, Chamarajpet and Jayanagar, is one of oldest business districts in Bangalore, home to thriving market places frequented by thousands. Yet, even as it is possibly one of the highest contributing areas to the state exchequer, the area is plagued by archaic civic problems, as well as others that are brought upon by the conflict between commercial interests and residential living. From choked roads, traffic bottlenecks and lack of parking spaces to choked drains, garbage problems, pollution and sanitation woes, the constituency seems to be crying out for an overhaul. Key…

Abdul Azeem, 60 is a former Assistant Commissioner of Police, while also being a former MLC, from Hebbal. Now standing on a JD(S) ticket, Azeem has served under a gamut of leaders from all leanings. Retiring in 2004, when he still had nine years of service to go, Azeem stood for the Assembly polls that same year from Binnypet and lost. Azeem's advantage is that he has lived and worked in the area, is better known and has a history of service.However, his plans to resolve Hebbal's key issues are sketchy, with talks of relegating growth to outside of Bangalore limits,…

Uday Garudachar's candidature on a BJP ticket from Chickpet came as a surprise for many. While he has previously stood as an independent in Bihar for Rajya Sabha seat, Garudachar has not been politically active in the city, just as he states being a BJP member for the last six years. Uday Garudachar has an Electronic Engineering degree from Bangalore University. Maverick Holdings, an entity for which Uday Garudachar had been the managing director, has been involved in many government projects including affordable housing projects. Garuda Mall, one of the early malls in Bengaluru, was built by Maverick Holdings on…