ELECTIONS

Voter registration for Bengaluru's MNC employees is now as simple as a walk to their cafe!VoteDeIndia has been conducting such drives at MNC campuses throughout Bangalore, most recently at Cognizant and Sasken. VoteDeIndia is volunteer, non-profit and non-partisian initiative run by a group Bangaloreans from the Infotech sector to increasing voter (electorate) turnout. The drive, which started with on-campus registrations in September, has been helping non-registered voters to register, so that they become eligible to get a voter ID. So far, VoteDeIndia has been successful in getting around 1000 members to sign up. VoteDeIndia helps individuals in: (1) Accurate identification…

Last week, the Election Commission announced that producing voter identity card is mandatory in all future elections. I talked to a revenue officer from BTM layout. He confirmed it would be mandatory to have photo identity card from next election onwards. Revenue offices in the respective areas have setup facility to get the photo identity cards. This is where one needs to get the cards. List of assembly constituencies and ward numbers are given in: http://www.bangalorevoterid.org/pdf/Delimited%20constituencies.pdfRevenue offices details are available in: http://www.bangalorevoterid.org/pdf/BMP-RV-E-AUG03-P-401.pdf.pdf In the past few elections, one could show any valid identity proof at the polling booth, as long…

On 4th August, former mayor P R Ramesh sent a notice to the State Election Commission asking it to hold elections of the Bruhat Bangaluru Mahanagara Palike within a fortnight. The notice said that though the Karnataka High Court on 2 July 2008, had directed the Election Commission and State to hold elections, no action had been taken so far. It is not that the Election Commission is dragging its feet on the matter or that its officials are lethargic and unwilling to move. The problem rests elsewhere. On 20th August, the Election Commision filed an application with the High…

While high profile, high powered summits on urban infrastructure development are hogging media headlines, a more low-key process taking place on the ground holds out hope for the beleaguered residents of one corner of the city. We citizens know all about politicians who promise the earth and the sky while canvassing for votes and are then seen and heard from again only on the eve of the next elections. But residents of Koramangala and surrounding areas have been pleasantly surprised to find their elected representative proving to be an exception to this rule - at least for now. Last Saturday…

This Monday, 2nd June, newly elected Jayanagar MLA, B N Vijaya Kumar interacted with residents in a meeting organised by the Jayanagar 5th Block Residents Welfare Association to felicitate him.In his first programme after the elections, he thanked voters for electing him with a large margin (his winning margin was 22594 votes, with a voter turnout of 48%) Vijaya Kumar told the residents that he will ensure all public department officials work towards solving citizens' issues. He also promised to arrange regular meetings where citizens can interact with officials to address the problems. He urged residents to be proactive and…

The media which prodded every Bangalorean to make a difference to the city’s future by simply voting in the just concluded assembly elections has done a great job. Sadly, the media does not know that it has done a great job. This is because, it has failed to read beyond the voting turnout number given by the Election Commission. Headlines like ‘middle class apathy’ to a meager turnout of 44 percent are plain wrong. In fact, the turnout may be as high as 80 percent. Ramesh Ramanathan, the urban affairs expert and founder of Janaagraha, notes in a column, that…

Throughout their election campaigning, two of the major political parties in Karnataka, the Congress and the BJP said they will review the Capital Value Scheme (CVS) for taxing properties in Bangalore. Their representatives said so in various meetings held with different citizens' groups. Screen shot of a section of the home page of the BBMP website's www.bmponline.org. A message on paying property taxes runs from right to left on top of the screen. "Most of the parties have come out against the scheme," says Col. Mathew Thomas, general secretary of Citizen Actions' Forum (CAF). However, "Only the BJP has made…

Yes, I voted, with a name that was not only spelt wrong, but strangely had an extra word as well - "Meja Pramod Kumar".Over two months ago, I had submitted the form for changing the errors in my name to the ARO, and had got his signed receipt. When I applied for the ID card last month, I realised my name was still listed incorrectly. To avoid missing a chance to vote, I got the same name printed on my ID card. (Now that this election is over, I need to start the process of applying for corrections in the…

When I heard that Dr Manmohan Singh was coming to Bangalore and would address a citizens' meeting at Chowdiah memorial hall on 8 May, I was very keen to attend. What other chance would I have to see...or even meet..the prime minister of my country? This man was an academician, a man of learning; and he was one of the leaders I could look up to...a rarity in the present political scenario. Rajeev Gowda, a professor of IIM-Bangalore alerted me to this event first and said that it was going to be a citizens' meeting with the PM. This was…

Yes, I voted couple of days back, as on many other occasions. And I am proud to be one of the only 44% Bangaloreans who voted. Now, why did I vote? I voted because I strongly believe that I have no right to complain about the system if I do not participate in the process of voting. While this sounds cliched, an important incentive for me is that I also believe that unless enough consumer resistance comes up, the system is not going to improve. So I believe in voting, and complaining and in being happy occasionally when I see…