EDITORS' PICK

Citizen Matters and Open City, our open data initiative has been sharing information and data about incumbent MLAs with their track record, candidates and details of past elections. This map gives you an easy way to check your constituency and candidates contesting elections.  A quick analysis of Bengaluru Assembly Constituencies Candidates shows: Total 431 candidates in Bengaluru Hebbal has 28 contestants, and an average of 16 candidates per Bengaluru constituency 51 parties and 191 independents contesting. Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian National Congress contesting all seats, JDS in all but Anekal One of the newest parties All India Mahila Empowerment Party is…

Roughly a couple of days from now, Karnataka will be voting to elect its next Assembly. One of the most conspicuous features of the high profile state election this year has been the participation of several new players other than the traditional big names, one among them being the Swaraj India party led by psephologist-turned-politician Yogendra Yadav. But how does a party, founded on the premise of alternative politics and with its origins largely in the political narrative of the northern part of the country, plan to make a mark in a southern state, where the dominant dialogue has been…

It is that season in democracy when every politician talks about "clean politics", and paints oneself clean. But how does the voter know whether one is really clean? One yardstick is to look at the legal cases slapped against them. The existence of a case on a person doesn't mean he or she is tainted or guilty. Sometimes they drag for years. Sometimes cases are slapped for frivolous reasons, and sometimes they are slapped for political reasons. Some cases might get withdrawn, or get decided in favour of the candidate. However, there are serious cases too, which might result in…

With Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 just around the corner, it’s important to be well-informed about the procedure and your options before you cast your vote. Here’s a quick guide from Citizen Matters to clear the most common questions you may be pondering upon for the moment. Why vote in the Legislative Assembly elections? How do I know if I can cast my vote? How do I locate my Assembly Constituency? How do I know where my polling booth is? Can I vote if I do not have a Voter ID card? How do I know who’s contesting from my constituency?…

Amidst all the political and other developments in the state, one thing that went largely unnoticed was the withdrawal of urad dhal from the Public Distribution System. While there has been no official gazette notification to this effect, it appears that the particular pulse has for a long time not been available for distribution. Conversations with beneficiaries bring out the situation on the ground and the impact. Beneficiaries across Chennai have raised their voices on the non availability of not only urad dhal, but also sometimes sugar and other items as well. In this context, it is important to understand…

When things don’t work well its always tempting to say “Let’s privatise”, though the experience of privatisation hasn’t been all that great – particularly when dealing with public facilities like health, public transport, water supply or waste disposal. The same logic seems be at work with the recently announced policy of the Government of India to allow privatisation of urban heritage, a move that has evoked extreme reaction from both ends of the spectrum. Some believe privatisation will be a good way to increase efficiency and generate income while others see it as a step signifying abdication of responsibility by…

Election Commission, through many special drives, has been focusing on getting more voters registered. Here are some observations based on the final voter roll numbers shared by the Election Commission. 20.7 Lakh voters have been added to the 28 constituencies of Bengaluru, 3.16 lakhs have been added in the two months March - May 2018! From an average of 2.5 lakhs voters in 2015, Bengaluru constituencies have an average voter roll size of 3.25 lakhs. The smallest constituency is Shivaji Nagar with 1.96 Lakh voters, the largest is Bengaluru South, three times that size, with 6.03 lakhs. Mahadevapura follows with…

A Children-centric Chennai school Unkempt buildings, broken toilets, steep absenteeism and disinterested students? Fits your idea of a government or Corporation school? Think again. Perceptions and ideas develop over time and, once hardened, it is rather difficult to demolish them. While there’s no denying the fact that such schools continue to exist, the opposite holds true as well. And, one such example is the Chennai High School in Kottur. With a renewed focus on obliterating absenteeism and moulding well rounded individuals, the team of teachers led by an inspiring and resourceful Head Mistress is making heads turn. Tackling absenteeism in…

A malnourished boy, in shabby clothes, stood trembling in fear at the Chennai Central Railway station. Unaware of the surroundings and people, he sat in silence at the railway station for hours. Only when the Railway Protection Force (RPF) employees initiated a conversation, did he open up about his risky escape from a confectionery unit in Karnataka. The 17-year-old boy, a resident of Virudhunagar district in Tamil Nadu, was coaxed into work by a middle man, when he was barely 13. The promise of a decent job and good salary soon turned sour, as the boy was forced to work…

Never before in the history of Bengaluru (or even other Indian cities), have we heard of non-partisan groups of citizens reaching out to all their candidates, preparing a bunch of hard questions, and interviewing each candidate on video, and working to share the video with all voters in their constituency so each one of them can make the most informed choice. Mahadevapura’s Million Voter Rising (MVR) team has been working from late 2016 to enroll voters in their constituency. They went to court filing a PIL when they found irregularities in the enrollment process and protested when majority (more than…