Find out how Rajarajeshwarinagar Assembly Constituency is faring and what the major issues in this constituency are. Learn about the incumbent MLA Munirathna N (BJP) and other candidates, including Kusuma Hanumantharayappa (INC), and Anantha Subhash Chandra (AAP).
About the constituency
Rajarajareshwarinagar constituency is in Bengaluru Urban district and falls in the Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha Constituency. The constituency was formed in 2008 and is now 15 years old.
It lies to the west of the city, and extends from Rajarajeshwarinagar locality in the southwest of the city, to parts of Jalahalli in the northwest of Bengaluru. Prominent localities in the constituency include Rajarajeshwarinagar, Bangalore University, Mallathahalli, parts of Vishweshwaraiah Layout, Ullala, Nagarabhavi, Sunkadakatte, Laggere, Peenya, Jalahalli, HMT and Yeshwanthpur.
Peenya and Jalahalli are important industrial areas of the city, housing garment and other medium and small scale industries (MSMEs) that employ lakhs of people. Bangalore University and Ambedkar Institute of Technology are among the prominent educational institutions in the area.
Compared to the eastern parts of the city, the southern parts of Rajarajeshwarinagar have developed through independent sites and the density is a lot less than in other parts of the city. The northern half, north of Magadi Road, has a lot more density that has come up around and catering to those employed in the MSME industries of Peenya and Jalahalli.
Rajarajeshwarinagar consists of 13 wards under the new delimitation (2022) – Rajarajeshwarinagar, Jnana Bharathi, Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadior Park, Sir M. Vishweshwaraiah, Vijayanagara Krishnadevaraya, Veera Sindhura Lakshmana, Lakshmi Nagar, Peenya, Veeramadakari, Kanneshwara Rama, JP Park, Chatrapathi Shivaji and Chanakya. Before delimitation there were nine wards – Rajararajeshwarinagar, Jnana Bharathi, Kottigepalya, Rajagopal Nagar, Laggere, HMT, Jalahalli, JP Park and Yeshwanthpura. During the delimitation exercise many of the wards were named after historical figures.
Munirathna of the Bharatiya Janata Party is the sitting MLA and D.K. Suresh from the Indian National Congress is the current MP(Bangalore Rural).
At a glance
| Constituency Name | Rajarajeshwarinagar |
| Constituency No | 154 |
| Constituency Area (in sq. km) | 45.05 Sq. km |
| Number of voters (Jan 2023) | 462,423 |
| Male voters | 239,863 |
| Female voters | 222,473 |
| Other voters | 87 |
Key issues in the constituency
A section of NH 48 to Tumkur falls in the constituency and the elevated road on the highway from Peenya to Anchepalya has been closed to heavy vehicles for more than a year now after cracks developed.
Given the presence of a large number of industries in Peenya and Jalahalli, pollution – air and water – is a major concern. 75% of the industries in the area were found to be flouting pollution norms. Close to 16,000 MSMEs have also shut down in recent years and the association has been calling for aid.
Mallathahalli lake was taken up for development with a toy train and other activities planned around it, which made activists and residents cry foul. Recently Mahashivarathri celebrations were held all night on the lake bed and the HC pulled up the MLA Munirathna over it.
Like in most parts of the city, poor condition of roads has been a concern. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bangalore University, roads were hurriedly laid to provide a temporary respite, but some parts of the laid roads developed a sinkhole within days.
Bangalore University has been in the news for other reasons too. Students and faculty protested over vehicular movement within the campus after a student was run over by a BMTC bus. The issue was resolved with promises about alternative roads.
Being one of the rainiest parts of the city, rain and flooding has been a factor for residents. A few years back, heavy rains caused the retaining wall around Vrishabhavathi to cave in, and a part of the road was washed away near Mailasandra.
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
| Metrics / Count | Rating* |
|---|---|
| 31 Govt schools; 1 school for 1.45 sq. km | Low |
Rajarajeshwarinagar is among the bottom nine constituencies in terms of government schools. Currently, there is one school for 1.45 sq km, placing it among the lowest nine constituencies. While this is a decent number, most of the constituencies in Bengaluru Urban have a school serving less than a sq. km and this is a good target to achieve.
Mobility
| Metrics / Count | Rating* |
|---|---|
| 7 Metro Stations | No rating |
| 138 Bus Stops | Medium |
| 22 bus trips per 100 residents daily | High |
There are 7 metro stations in Rajarajeshwarinagar constituency as it is served by both the purple line and the green line. The constituency rates medium in terms of number of bus stops per sq km. However, in terms of frequency of buses at these stops, the constituency rates “High”. This is mainly because the old outer ring road from Kengeri to Peenya sees very regular and frequent bus services. Bus services in areas farther from this road can be improved as the population is also increasing in these areas.
Citizen engagement
| Metrics / Count | Rating* |
|---|---|
| Voter turnout 2013: 56.18% 2018: 47.13% | High |
| 9 wards held 199 ward committee meetings in two years | High |
| 22 meetings per ward | High |
Voter turnout in the constituency declined by 16% from 2013 to 2018. However, the 9 wards in Rajarajeshwarinagar totaled 199 ward committee meetings. In terms of civic engagement, the constituency gets a Medium rating, being among the middle 9 constituencies.
Health
We have not rated public health infrastructure as the data available was inadequate, and the data is simply presented as is.
| Metrics / Count | Rating* |
|---|---|
| 3 Namma clinics | – |
| 8 Urban PHCs | – |
| 85 Anganwadis | – |
| 2 BBMP referral hospitals; 0 maternity hospitals | – |
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
Peenya in the northwest of Bengaluru has historically been the hub of Medium and Small scale industries (MSMEs). More than 16,000 of these in Peenya have been shut. A bailout or a way to revive these industries is at the top of the demands in the constituency.
In the southwestern parts of the city, traffic has been increasing rapidly as more people are moving to the suburbs in this constituency. This has led to a slew of flyover and underpass projects – the Rajarajeshwarinagar arch flyover, University quarters underpass, flyover at the Nagarabhavi BDA complex. Most of these projects started close to a year back and are not seeing much progress, adding to the woes of commuters.
Students and faculty of Bangalore University wanted private and public vehicles to take alternative paths instead of using the main thoroughfare of the university. Whether this becomes a major issue and demands rise again needs to be seen.
Incumbent MLA: Munirathna N
Munirathna of BJP is the incumbent MLA. He won in 2018 from INC, and was part of the cohort that switched allegiance in 2019 to the BJP to topple the INC-JDS combine. He was reelected from a BJP ticket in 2020, and has since served as the Minister of Horticulture and Planning.
He is registered as a voter in 157, Malleswaram Assembly constituency, serial number 696 in part no. 149. He has studied till the 10th from Corporation High School, Kodandarapamapuram. He lists business as his profession, and business, agriculture, salary as MLA, rental and interest as sources of income. He has 10 criminal cases registered against him. The cases range from violation of the Information Technology Act, Representation of People Act, Prevention of Corruption Act and Essential Commodities Act.
Work in the term
Munirathna’s tenure as Horticulture minister has been nothing but rocky. The works he carried out for lake development, tree parks etc have attracted the ire of residents and activists.
BBMP contractors have accused him of charging a high commission for contracts, and he was involved in a public spat with his cabinet colleague J Madhuswamy, Minister of law and parliamentary affairs.
Being a film producer he planned to make a film on the fictional story of Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda who are supposed to have killed Tipu Sultan, but he had to shelve the plans when seers intervened.
Most recently, he has faced flak for asking Tamils to “attack anyone who sets foot” in their area in his constituency. An FIR was filed against him for hate speech against Christians.
In the news
- An FIR was filed most recently against Munirathna for hate speech against Christians in his constituency. The FIR was filed by the flying surveillance team.
- He has been facing flak from the opposition over remarks asking Tamils to “attack anyone who sets foot here” in an area of his constituency.
- Munirathna is a film producer and was in the news for planning a movie on the fictional killers of Tipu Sultan. The plan was eventually dropped.
- A road was being built through Hosakerehalli and the work was stopped after residents protested. Munirathna turned out to be the one who awarded the contract saying it was for a temporary road.
- A temporary structure was installed and a jamboree performed all night on the bed of Mallathahalli lake. The High Court pulled him up for it.
- Munirathna was earlier in the news for doing “development” work on Mallathahalli lake, for which he was pulled up by the courts after residents and activists complained.
- Residents and activists protested against plans to convert Jarakhabandi Kaval forest into a tree park.
- Munirathna was accused of bribery by BBMP contractors as part of the 40% commission scandal.
- Between the 2018 elections and 2020 elections, his assets doubled as per news reports on his affidavit filing.
- Residents protested Munirathna’s plans to build on a playground in Rajarajeshwarinagar.
- Police had registered an FIR against Munirathna in a voter IDs scam before the 2018 elections.
Questions raised in the Assembly
He attended office on 41 of the 51 days that the Assembly was in session during his term, and had an attendance record of 80.39%.
- In Feb 2019, as part of the INC-JDS combine, he had raised the issue of encroachment by private entities on Muthyalamma Devi Grove, Survey No. 29, in Jalahalli village, which was revenue department property.
- In December 2020, as part of the BJP government after his defection, he had drawn the attention of the Minister of Housing to construction of houses under the “Rajeev Awas Yojana” in Rajarajeshwarinagar constituency and requested that the contractors for the project be blacklisted.
List of candidates
Incumbent MLA Munirathna N, BJP
Munirathna N has been the MLA for the constituency since 2013. Most recently he is serving as the Minister for Horticulture and Planning in the incumbent government.
- Party: BJP
- Education: 10th Standard
- Profession: Business, rental income, agricultural income and interest income.
- Online: https://twitter.com/MunirathnaMLA
- Total Assets: Rs. 293.6 Cr (2023)
- Criminal cases: 10 under the following acts:
- Representation of People Act
- Information Technology Act
- Promoting enmity between groups
- Essential Commodities Act
Wealth declaration
| Details | Holdings in 2020 (Bye-elections) | Holdings in 2023 | Change in % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Movable Assets | Rs. 26.52 Cr | Rs. 33.01 Cr | 24.5% increase |
| Immovable property | Rs. 62.61 Cr | Rs. 260.59 Cr | 316% increase |
| Liabilities | Rs. 46.42 Cr | 102.1 Cr | 120% increase |
| Total Assets | Rs. 89.13 Cr | Rs. 293.6 Cr | 229.4% increase |
Source: https://affidavit.eci.gov.in/ (includes spouse and family assets)
Candidate: Kusuma Hanumantharayappa, INC
Kusuma H was the surprise candidate to represent INC in the bye-elections called in 2020 due to Munirathna’s defection. Even though she lost by a large margin, she managed to get more than 30% of the vote share.
- Party: INC
- Education: MS in Information Technology.
- Profession: Assistant Professor, Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering
- Online: https://twitter.com/KusumaH_INC
- Total assets: Rs. 4.77 Cr (2023)
- Criminal cases: 4 under the following acts:
- Unlawful assembly under Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act
- Representation of People Act
- Political experience: Contested for the first time and lost the bye-elections in 2020 to Munirathna.
Candidate: Anantha Subhash Chandra, AAP
Anantha Subhash Chandra is the candidate from Aam Aadmi Party and is contesting for the first time.
- Party: AAP
- Education: 2nd PUC, St. Philomena’s College, Mysore
- Profession: Business and agriculture
- Online: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089709482729
- Total assets: Rs. 42.6 Cr
- Criminal cases: 0
- Political experience: Contesting for the first time
Candidate: Dr. V Narayana Swamy, JD (S)
Dr. V Narayana Swamy is the candidate from the Janata Dal (Secular) and is contesting for the first time.
- Party: JDS
- Education: MBBS, MD(OBG), Laparoscopic surgeon
- Profession: Doctor
- Online: Facebook: Narayana Swamy
- Total assets: Rs. 68.5 Cr.
- Criminal cases: 5 under the following acts:
- 2 cases under section 406 and 420 – breach of trust and cheating
- Section 138 for a cheque bounce
- 2 cases under sec 304(A) and 337-death by negligence and endangering the life of others
- Political experience: Contesting for the first time.
Full list of candidates
Past election results
| Candidate | Party | Vote Share (%) 2020 | Party | Vote Share (%) 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Munirathna N | BJP | 60.14 | INC | 37.4 |
| Kusuma H | INC | 32.4 | ||
| Krishnamurthy V | JDS | 4.9 | – | – |
| K.L.R Thimmananjaiah | JDS | JDS | 27.5 | |
| M. Srinivas | BJP | 26.7 |
Thank you for the information.
The information about the candidates and their past and present status really helps a real voter to decide whom to vote.
Unfortunately, we have no good option. Many terms we used to cast NOTA with disappointment.
I would like to bring into the notice of our voters of Rajarajeshwari constituency ( especially HMT & Yeswanthapur).
Near HMT School circle we could see that BBMP has planted a huge tree (few months back).
It was a relocated tree from yeswanthapur (near Yeswanthapur railway station). This tree i understand was demolished to construct a COVID-19 Hospital near Yeshwanthpur Railway station.
This tree was a very prominent tree which wa smore than 50 years old and was home for thousands of birds .
In order to keep satisfy the environmental activists , our MLA proposed to cut and relocate the tree to HMT School circle.
I was a eye witness of how in the mid night the huge tree was transported by BBMP all the way from yeswanthpur to HMT area and planted the same tree in front of HMT School .
Certainly the task would have costed few lakhs of Rupees ( Tax payers Money).
Even after spending such time and money the idea was foolish only an eyewashes to the public.
The same tree is now in the HMT school Circle dried off and it will fall after few months .
Now the tree is dead. Why can we not lodge a criminal case on the so called public servants who are responsible to destroy Nature.
Many such cases are happening and we have no answere.
Thanks for your attention
Dr.Shivarudrappa