Find out how Byatarayanapura Assembly Constituency is faring and what the major issues in this constituency are. Learn about the incumbent MLA Krishna Byre Gowda (INC) and other candidates, including Thammesh Gowda H C (BJP), Girish Kumar Naidu (AAP) and Nagaraj Gowda P (JDS).

About the constituency

Byatarayanapura assembly constituency is in the Bengaluru Urban district and comes under the Bengaluru North Lok Sabha Constituency. The constituency was formed in 2008 and is now 15 years old. The constituency is a fast growing area in Bengaluru, particularly due to its proximity to the airport. 

The area is a mix of urban and peri-urban settlements. The constituency has 10 wards, including three, which were added through a ward delimitation exercise. Thanisandra, Jakkur, Byatarayanapura, Kodigehalli, Vidyaranyapura, Doddabommasandra, and Kuvempunagar are the old wards and the three new wards are  Kempapura, Amruthahalli, and Kogilu. 

Byatarayanapura is one of the largest assembly constituencies in the city and has a mix of urban and rural populations. 26 of the 110 villages which were added to the BBMP after 2007 are part of Byatarayanapura assembly constituency. 

Jakkuru, Vidyaranyapura, Hebbal, Kempapura, Sahakarnagar, Byatarayanapura, and Amruthahalli are some of the well known neighbourhoods in this constituency. The area also has big educational and research institutions, including the University of Agricultural Sciences and National Centre for Biological Sciences. 

Krishna Byre Gowda of the Indian National Congress is the sitting MLA and DV Sadananda Gowda from BJP is the current MP.

At a glance

Data for all 28 constituencies can be found here. Corresponding source: ceo.karnataka.gov.in

Key issues in the constituency

Sixteen years on, Cauvery water supply has still not reached these villages, resulting in large scale borewell and ground water extraction. Traffic issues and poor roads have been a concern for several years. 

Residents have also complained about stormwater drain encroachments, poor waste management and dumping in stormwater drains. BBMP has been on an encroachment clearing drive in the constituency since 2017, but the status of this drive is unknown. 

In Kuvempu Nagar, in particular, residents have complained about the lack of metered water connections, poor roads and drains and regular garbage collection. 

The constituency also has poor public transport infrastructure. Residents  demanded better BMTC connectivity in 2019.  

Byatarayanapura has more than 26 lakes. Many of these have been the focus of rejuvenation, including well-known lakes like Jakkur. However, several lakes have been allegedly encroached or polluted by sewage. 

The Byatarayanapura lake in the same ward has been completely encroached for real estate. Residents have complained about the Venkateshpura lake in the Jakkur ward is also being encroached.  

Key parameters – How does this constituency fare? 

*Based on their performance in each sector, constituencies are divided into three groups. High=top nine constituencies; Medium = mid nine constituencies; Low = bottom nine constituencies. A ‘High’ rating does not necessarily mean the constituency is doing well; it only means that the constituency is among the top nine constituencies for that parameter.

While there maybe a number of PHCs within a constituency, the real state is reflected by the availability of staff and their capacity, distribution and access of these facilities within the area, the availability of free medicines, availability of equipment and diagnostic facilities, efforts in preventive/promotive healthcare and community participation, in addition to the process challenges of insistence on documentation like Aadhar, taayi card. 

Schooling

Byatarayanapura is among the bottom nine constituencies in terms of government schools. Currently, there is one school for 4.76 sq km, placing it among the lowest nine constituencies. 

Mobility

Byatarayanapura currently has no metro stations. The constituency rated low in terms of number of bus stops per sq km. However, in terms of frequency of buses at these stops, the constituency had a medium rating. The frequency of buses could be because of buses plying on the Airport Road, which is partly within the constituency. However, the low number of bus stops suggest that particularly the interior and more rural parts of the constituency are not being served adequately.

Citizen engagement

Voter turnout in the constituency declined by 14%. However, Byatarayanpura was among the constituencies with the highest number of ward committee meetings between 2020-22. Most of these meetings would have happened between two major COVID waves and lock downs.

Health 

We have not rated public health infrastructure as the data available was inadequate, and the data is simply presented as is.

Please note that the number of PHCs or Namma Clinic within a constituency is not sufficient to draw conclusions about the state of healthcare. We also need data on the availability of staff and their capacity, medicines, equipment, diagnostic facilities. Quality is also determined by the distribution and access of these facilities within the area, the efforts in preventive/promotive healthcare and community participation, in addition to the process challenges, for e.g., insistence of Aadhar or Thayi cards.

Click here for the details on how all constituencies fare and their source(s)

Constituency map

Citizen demands

Based on media reports, citizen demands include Cauvery water supply to all areas, better roads, more BMTC buses, underground sewage network, clearing and cleaning storm water drains and regular garbage collection.

Incumbent MLA: Krishna Byre Gowda

Krishna Byre Gowda is the current MLA of the Byatarayanapura constituency and has been in the post since 2008. He is part of the Indian National Congress. He is registered as a voter in 152 Byatarayanapura (Karnataka) constituency, at Serial no 11 in Part no 250. He has an undergraduate degree in Business Management from Christ College, Bengaluru in 1994 and a postgraduate degree in International Affairs from American University, Washington DC, USA in 1999. He lists his profession as agriculture. He has no criminal records. But he has had an FIR filed against him during the Mekedatu padayatra, where hundreds of Congress party members undertook a procession seeking resumption of the Mekedatu drinking water project. The FIR alleges unlawful assembly and public nuisance and the violation of the Karnataka Epidemics Act 2020 among others.

Work in the term

From 2018-2019, Krishna Byre Gowda was the Minister of Rural Development & Panchayath Raj, Law & Parliamentary Affairs in the Kumaraswamy-led state government. He is the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee in the Legislative Assembly. He has been in the news for revealing irregularities in land allocation and mining in the state as part of the Public Accounts Committee. He has a 92% attendance record.

He has often expressed a passion for filling up dried up lakes in the state. The H and N and K and C valley projects that use treated waste water from Bengaluru to fill up lakes in rural areas around the city, received a major push when he was agriculture minister in his previous term and as rural development minister for one year under the Kumaraswamy government in 2018-19. 

The project has been criticised by environmentalists for inadequate water treatment. However, Krishna Byre Gowda has defended the project and claims that farmers in the rural districts are happy. Several lakes in his constituency, such as in the Jala Hobli, have also been filled with treated water.  He claims to have also worked to restore several lakes in his constituency. These claims can be seen on his social media platforms here, here and here. He also criticised the BJP for claiming credit for the project, even though it was Congress’ brain child.

Since coming into opposition in 2019, the MLA claims to have continued to work on key issues, such as water supply and road works in his constituency. However, the extent of his role as MLA and the success of the projects has not been verified by Citizen Matters. In 2019, Byre Gowda accused the BJP led government of having blocked or diverted funds to his constituency. The BJP government has been reported to have allotted more funds to constituencies with BJP MLAs in 2019, 2022 and 2023. 

In the news

1. Krishna Byre Gowda joined other INC MLAs in asking for BJP MLA Madal Virupaksha’s resignation after Lokayuktha seized Rs 8 crore in cash from the home of his son Prashanth Madal, a government officer.  
2. The MLA criticised BJP for taking credit for the K and C project greening Kolar. 
3. He warned that the Central governments of all parties were eroding democracy in the states and weakening the federal structure.
4. He has also pointed out that the needs of Karnataka and southern states in general were not adequately met by the Central Finance Commission.
5. He also criticised the Centre’s practice of converting most tax revenue to cess, which did not have to be shared with the States. 
6. He has also sought action against Education and Skill Development minister CN Ashwath Narayan for controversial statements on Siddharamaiah. 
7. In March 2023, Krishna Byre Gowda filed an FIR against BJP ticket aspirant K. Munindra Kumar for attempting to distribute freebies like cricket gear and home appliances to residents in Byatarayanapura constituency. He also alleged that the Election Commission was unwilling to take action against BJP candidates violating the election code. Police also arrested a Congress party worker in the constituency for allegedly attempting to distribute poll freebies. 
8. Krishna Byre Gowda came into some controversy himself in March 2023, when he reportedly got into an argument with residents in a ward in his constituency. Media reports suggest that the residents were raising grievances regarding lack of water and good roads with the MLA and accusing some Congress party workers of extorting money. The MLA, who had come to inaugurate a new road in the constituency, however accused them of playing politics.       
9. As an MLA, Krishna Byre Gowda urged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to complete the widening of the Hebbal flyover in 2022 
10. He also urged the CM to complete storm water drain fixing soon.
11. As the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee he reported that illegal mining had cost the government Rs 18-20,000 crore loss.

Questions raised in the Assembly

1. Questioned CM about Storm Water Drain encroachment after Bengaluru floods in 2022.
2. He asked the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to complete the widening of the Hebbal flyover in 2022.
3. In an assembly debate in 2019, he criticised the Karnataka Government for not ensuring farmers got insurance compensation after floods.

List of candidates

Incumbent MLA Krishna Byre Gowda, INC 

He has been the MLA from this constituency since it was formed in 2008. He was the agriculture minister from 2013-2018. 

• Education: MA, International Affairs
• Profession: Agriculture
• Online: Twitter – @krishnabgowda, Instagram – @krishna_byregowda
• Net worth: Rs 15 crore
• Political experience: Five time MLA; twice from Kolar and three times from Byatarayanapura. Political career began in 2003, when he won the MLA seat from Vemgal, Kolar during a by-election. He was agriculture minister from 2013-2018 and the minister for rural affairs and panchayati raj from 2018-2019. 

Wealth declaration* 

Source: https://affidavit.eci.gov.in/

Read more: Priority is improving health infrastructure in Byatarayanapura and North Bengaluru: Krishna Byre Gowda

Candidate: Thammesh Gowda H C, BJP

Thammesh Gowda H C is a first time MLA candidate and a BJP party worker. He has no elected office experience. He was formerly the chairman of the Karnataka Vidyuth Karkhane Limited, a government undertaking that manufactures electrical distribution transformers.

• Education: BA, LLB
• Online: Twitter – @thammeshgowda; Instagram- @thammeshgowda
• Profession: Business and Agriculture
• Net worth: Rs 2 crore
• Political Experience: Party worker; Chairman of. Karnataka Vidyuth Karkhane Limited; Elected office experience-Nil

Candidate: Nagaraj Gowda P, JD(S)

Nagaraj Gowda was a member of INC until recently. According to unverified reports, he left INC after being denied a ticket. He joined JD(S) to replace N Venugopal as the candidate Byatarayanapura. He has one criminal complaint against him for allegedly violating the model code of conduct and offering gifts for votes.

• Education: SSLC
• Online: None listed in the affidavit
• Profession: Business
• Net worth:77 crore
• Political Experience: Party worker (INC); Elected office experience-Nil

Candidate: Girish Kumar Naidu, AAP

Girish Kumar Naidu is a former BJP party worker from Mahadevapura. He joined AAP in February 2023. In an interview online, he claimed that he quit BJP after the administration filed false charge against him in Mahadevapura for questioning rajakaluve encroachments.

• Education: 7th Standard
• Online:Twitter- @girishkumarnaidu; Facebook- girishkumarnaidu; Instagram – @naidugirishkumar
• Profession: Social activist/businessman
• Net worth: Rs 18 Lakh [discrepancy between gross value and value listed in abstract of the affidavit]
• Political experience:

Full list of candidates  

https://affidavit.eci.gov.in/

 Past elections results

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