bangalore central

Actor and film personality Prakash Raj is contesting from Bangalore Central constituency as an independent candidate. He will be facing two-term BJP MP P C Mohan, Congress candidate and MLC Rizwan Arshad, and 19 other candidates. Prakash Raj grew up in Shanthi Nagar, near the centre of the city. Alongside a long career in theatre and films, he had also been involved in social service, having adopted villages and schools. Prakash says he now wants to be the “catalyst of change for a larger section of society than just the one-off village or school.” While he is no stranger to…

Voters have given their verdict. BJP has once again made a clean sweep in Bengaluru, repeating the 2009 Parliamentary election pattern. However, there are some differences this time. We take a look at the numbers: Bangalore South Ananth Kumar won the seat for the sixth time comfortably, with a margin of over 2.2 lakhs (56.9% of total polled votes). Nandan Nilekani got a sizeable number of votes (36.4% of the total polled votes), but it wasn’t enough to propel him to victory. The takeaway is this: The competition was fierce and limited to BJP and Congress, with very few votes…

Pic: Nikita Malusare P C Mohan had made many promises in 2009, when he contested Lok Sabha elections from Bengaluru Central. Many voters wonder what he has done, even as a survey shows him scoring well on many fronts. As a candidate to the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, this is what PC Mohan promised in an interview with Smart Vote. * 3 priorities of your constituency? Concentrate on infrastructure, public amenities and environmental issues * How do you plan to address these issues in parliament? Certain issues can be sorted out in state, some need grants. Whatever is required I…

The election madness hasn’t perturbed her one bit. She seems to have seen it all, right from the time she started extensively campaigning for numerous elections post her marriage to politician Dr Jeevraj Alva, when she was no more than 16 years old! Being a danseuse, businesswoman, socialite and homemaker, she did not fear adding more to her juggling act. Today, Nandini Alva, all of 52, sounds very articulate when we speak to her about her entry into politics. She has been chosen to contest as a JD(S) candidate from Bangalore Central for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Nandini Alva…

Planned vs Actual Spending of MPLAD funds by sitting MPs You have seen the MPLAD spend data for all three MPs of Bangalore. A closer look at the MPLAD fund spending also reveals some interesting patterns, some of which are presented below. Borewells and borewells During the time that he was an MP, Ananth Kumar spent more than Rs. 4 crores on 106 borewells. P.C. Mohan used Rs. 3.35 crores of his MPLAD funds to sink 67 borewells. Not far behind, we have Chandre Gowda who spent Rs. 1.34 crores on 30 odd borewells. The cost of sinking borewells documented…

In this Lok Sabha election, Bangalore is witnessing a surge of new-age politicians, and Bangalore central is no exception. It has former chief finance officer of Infosys V Balakrishnan battling against youth congress leader Rizwan Arshad and incumbent MP, P C Mohan. JD(S) contestant Nandini Alva adds glamour to the electoral fight. In terms of candidates, this constituency has more varieties to offer. One is a billionaire, another one is a crorepati with very fast-growing asset, one more though crorepati has not even a single vehicle in his family. Three of the four candidates have cases pending against them. Asset…

In the narrow lanes of Shantinagar, off the Markam road, Bangalore Central Candidate for Aam Aadmi Party V Balakrishnan decided to start his first campaign, Jansabha. The location was the crowded junction of the five lanes that had constant movement of scooters and bikes. The event was scheduled on Friday, 14th March 2013. Young volunteers ran up and down fixing the banners and placing the red carpet on the floor, while senior citizens distributed the pamphlets. The party’s symbol “Zhadu” (broom) was placed at the two open corners of the stage. At the background, the speakers relentlessly aired the Aam…

He is among the new breed of fresh faces aspiring to win elections and bring in a change in Bengaluru. And he represents a party that brought about a sea change in the way the game of politics is played out in India. Meet V Balakrishnan, the representative of Aam Aadmi Party for Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha Constituency. V Balakrishnan, called Bala by his partymen and friends, is the ex-chief finance officer of Infosys. Born and brought up in Vellore, Tamil Nadu in a classic middle class family, Balakrishnan has three elder sisters and one elder brother. His father was…

Personal Info | Assets & Liabilities | Positions Held | Performance | Local Issues | MPLAD Funds  P C Mohan is a first-time Lok Sabha MP who represents Bangalore Central constituency. The constituency comprises of Rajanjinagar, Chamrajpet, Gandhinagar, Shivajinagar, Shantinagar, Sarvagnanagar, C V Raman Nagar and Mahadevpaura assembly constituencies. In the 2009 Lok Sabha election, Mohan (BJP) defeated H T Sangliana (INC) by over 35,000 votes. In the past, Mohan has been an MLA in the Karnataka Assembly on two occasions. Mohan contested the Karnataka Assembly Elections in 2013 and lost by a significant margin. However, if the rumours in the party circle are to be believed, he is going…