Articles by Gangadharan B

As visitors arrive at Kempegowda International Airport, they are welcomed by lush indoor greenery designed to showcase Bengaluru's identity as the "Garden City." Beyond the airport gates, however, the reality is starkly different. Roads and streets all over the city are losing the green cover that once defined its character, to make way for metro lines, elevated corridors, and road-widening projects. Development is essential for a growing metropolis. But when it comes at the cost of thousands of trees, it raises a difficult question: can Bengaluru continue to build for the future without erasing the very landscape that made it…

In 1996, on a train to Bhilwara, Prakash Mandoth had to sit next to the toilets throughout his journey. That’s when he realised how broken India’s railway system is and vowed to fix it. Since then, he has made Bengaluru’s long-delayed dream of a suburban railway, proposed in  1983, as his personal mission. For over 26 years, he has petitioned, emailed decision-makers, met with officials, and voiced his thoughts at public hearings to turn this vision into a reality.  However, much to the frustration of Prakash and citizen activists like him, the Bangalore Suburban Rail Project (BSRP) has seen inordinate delays…

As of July 8, booth level officers (BLOs) have distributed over 4.57 crore enumeration forms for the mandatory Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Karnataka. Yet despite the 82.45% completion rate, the process has faced widespread criticism and been plagued with problems including BLO burnout, and the Kannada-only forms. If you are still figuring out how to fill the enumeration form, read Part 1 of this series. In this part, you can find answers to some common questions on filling the form, online enumeration, progeny mapping, etc. The SIR process poses specific challenges to transgender and queer communities due to changes…

Karnataka's Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which began on June 30, requires every voter to complete a fresh verification exercise. The SIR is carried out by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to prepare and revise electoral rolls, and ensure its accuracy. The process especially aims to remove deceased voters and duplicate names in the rolls, including those of  citizens who have migrated and are registered as voters in  multiple places. The election commission announced the process with the aim that ‘no eligible citizen is left out and no ineligible citizen is included in the electoral roll’. In the Special Summary…

Last year around the same time, Citizen Matters published a two part series on how the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) funds were underutilised in Bengaluru. Following this, budget allocation sped up and last September, the state government allocated over ₹145 crore to various agencies. However the air quality in the city hasn't improved, while more than ₹100 crores of the clean air funds remain unused. A total of ₹541 crore has been released so far, with ₹147.7 crore recently allocated among BESCOM, BMTC, BSWML, the Horticulture Department, and the Climate Action Cell. The planned projects for these clean air…

Table of contentsPolitical RepresentationCandidates for 2026 pollsTop candidates2021 Polling SnapshotPrevious Results 2021Previous Results 2016Incumbent MLA:  R.D ShekarMLA profileCriminal records:MLA in the mediaKey citizen demandsAlso read Perambur is constituency number 12 in Chennai, located in the northern part of the city, and falls under the Chennai North Lok Sabha constituency. One of the largest railway coach manufacturing facilities in Asia, the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), is located in Perambur. It was established in 1955, employing thousands of workers and engineers. Key areas include the ICF colony, Perambur Barracks Road, Peravallur, Kosapet, and Kannigapuram. As per the 2011 census, the constituency has…

Table of contentsPolitical RepresentationCandidates for 2026 pollsTop candidates2021 Polling SnapshotPrevious Results: 2021Previous Results: 2016Incumbent MLA: Murthy R.IdreamMLA profileMLA in the mediaKey citizen demandsAlso read Royapuram is constituency number 17 in Chennai, located in the northern part of the city along the Coromandel Coast. It falls under the Chennai North Lok Sabha constituency. The constituency covers areas including Royapuram, Old Washermenpet, Mottai Garden, and parts of Kasimedu, and is home to Royapuram Railway Station, the first railway station of South India and the oldest surviving railway station in the country, opened in 1856. The constituency has deep roots as a coastal…

Table of contentsPolitical RepresentationCandidates for 2026 pollsTop candidates2021 Polling SnapshotPrevious Results 2021Previous Results 2016Incumbent MLA: Ebenezer J J (aka) John Ebenezer JMLA profileMLA in the mediaKey citizen demandsAlso read: Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar, commonly known as RK Nagar, is an assembly constituency located in the northern coastal part of Chennai. The area is characterised by fisher community settlements, port-linked labour colonies and informal housing clusters. The population depends highly on welfare delivery systems. Narrow streets, crowded residential clusters, coastal roads and industrial zones are major characteristics of the area. Bus connections from Central to North Chennai are strong, however better connection…

Table of contentsPolitical RepresentationCandidates for 2026 PollsTop Candidates2021 Polling SnapshotPrevious Results: 2021Previous Results: 2016Incumbent MLA: A Vetriazhagan .MLA profileMLA in the mediaKey citizen demandsAlso read Villivakkam, a prominent urban constituency in the city, presents a mix of long-established, densely-populated low-income residential areas, an industrial cluster, and rapidly expanding middle-class areas, some of which have given way to apartment complexes in recent years. Once the largest constituency in the city, Villivakkam has shrunk in size as many constituencies, including Ambattur, Kolathur, Madhavaram, Maduravoyal, and Virugambakkam, were carved out of it following the delimitation process. Areas that come under Villivakam including Villivakkam…

Table of contentsPolitical RepresentationCandidates for 2026 pollsTop candidates2021 Polling SnapshotPrevious Results: 2021Previous Results: 2016Incumbent MLA: Sekar Babu P KMLA profileCriminal records: 25LAD Funds Utilisation MLA in the mediaKey citizen demandsAlso read: Harbour is constituency number 18 in Chennai, located in the northern part of the city and directly adjacent to the Chennai Port. It falls under the Chennai Central Lok Sabha constituency with a population of around 2.64 lakh as per the 2011 census. With a SC population at around 23%. The constituency covers commercial and residential areas including George Town, Sowcarpet, Mannady, Broadway, Muthialpet, Kondithope, and Wall Tax Road. George…