GENRE: In Focus

On the face of it residents of Jayanagar Assembly constituency have very little to complain. It is one of the city's best planned residential areas, with a bustling central shopping complex, wide roads, plenty of parks and playgrounds. But, take a look closer and you will find that it faces the same problems that haunt rest of the city. The huge influx of people and rampant commercialisation has changed the face of this once-quiet residential neighbourhood. While some parts of the constituency have received adequate care and attention, other parts are yet to get even basic amenities. Apart from Jayanagar,…

A constituency situated in north-east Bangalore, Pulikeshinagar has been reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC's). It has seven wards where the major population is the low and middle income category in some parts like Richards Town. Considering the linguistic and religious diversity in the area, it is not surprising to find that election campaigns are being held in Tamil, Hindi and English apart from Kannada.The constituency which has small commercial establishments in addition to residential neighbourhoods, has a total 13 contestants including three independents. Key issuesMohen S, a techie and resident of S K Garden ward, explained the problems: "Speeding vehicles,…

Hebbal, once considered the northern endpoint of the city, is now the epicentre of its growth, as Bangalore spreads its tentacle-like flyovers in every direction. The last two decades have seen the conversion of what was essentially a cluster of villages, set apart by Hebbal Lake, into one of Bangalore’s busiest and populated suburbs. As Hebbal turned into a gateway for the new airport, driving land prices up, rents and property rates in the heart of the city have rendered it unlivable for a large population. From private gated community projects to IT ‘parks’, Hebbal has witnessed explosive growth without…

With over two lakh voters, the traditional neighborhoods of the Mahalakshmi Layout constituency are a hot spot for commercial activities too. Narrow roads and water supply shortage have been the foremost issues left unresolved by the incumbent and earlier elected leaders. Abutting the major localities of Yeshwantpur, Rajajinagar and Malleshwaram, this constituency has grown at a fast pace. There is also an exodus of workers from Peenya Industrial suburbs to the quieter locales of Nandini Layout and Mahalakshmipuram. The constituency consists of seven wards. JDS and Congress have three corporators each along with the lone BJP representative, S Harish from…

Chickpet constituency, carved out during delimitation from parts of Basavanagudi, Chamarajpet and Jayanagar, is one of oldest business districts in Bangalore, home to thriving market places frequented by thousands. Yet, even as it is possibly one of the highest contributing areas to the state exchequer, the area is plagued by archaic civic problems, as well as others that are brought upon by the conflict between commercial interests and residential living. From choked roads, traffic bottlenecks and lack of parking spaces to choked drains, garbage problems, pollution and sanitation woes, the constituency seems to be crying out for an overhaul. Key…

Two of the city's biggest engineering colleges, one of its biggest medical colleges, a former prime minister along with a Rashtra Kavi call Padmanabhanagar their home. Yes, PESIT, Dayananda Sagar, Deve Gowda and G S Shivarudrappa, along with Goddess Banashankari, reside in this constituency which includes much of Padmanabhanagar, Kumaraswamy Layout, ISRO Layout, Yediyur and parts of Banashankari, Basavanagudi and Jayanagar. The incumbent and his promisesThe incumbent is three-term MLA and Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka. First elected in a bye-election in 1997 from Uttarahalli, India's largest assembly at that time, Ashoka was re-elected in 1999 and 2004. In…

Govindraj Nagar may be in the news for having one of the richest candidates, incumbent MLA Priya Krishna, but the neighbourhoods suffer from common city issues, with little done towards infrastructure development.The constituency covers Prashanth Nagar, Corporation Colony, BMP Colony, Govindaraja Nagar, Magadi Chord road Layout, Thimmenahalli, CHBS Layout, Binni Layout, Vijaya Nagar 1st Stage and a few other areas.The total number of voters was 2.78 lakhs during the 2009 bye-elections which has now come down to 2.39 lakhs as per the latest revision.  Incumbent MLA Priya KrishnaPriya Krishna (INC) is one of the youngest MLA in the Karnataka Assembly,…

Located in the north-east part of Bangalore, the Sarvagnanagar Assembly Constituency has seen a lot of development in the recent past. With several educational institutions, hospitals and other commercial establishments, the area is thickly populated. But with the drastic rise in development and an influx of people, Sarvagnanagar is lagging behind in infrastructure. The foremost of problems faced by residents is that of drinking water. Key issuesMost northern and eastern parts of the city are facing acute water shortage. The peak of summer is a further testing time. The current MLA of the constituency, K J George (Congress) says he…

BTM Layout Assembly Constituency is home to some of the city's coveted addresses as well as some its worst slums. The constituency has seen a sea change with the IT boom: apart from being home to many IT companies, it also connects Electronic City with the rest of Bangalore. If swanky malls and restaurants are one part of this story, choked roads and unplanned development are the other part. The constituency was one of the seven carved out the erstwhile Uttarahalli constituency before the 2008 assembly elections. Koramangala, BTM Layout, Adugodi, Madivala, Lakkasandara and Ejipura are some of the areas…

Malleshwaram is a peaceful old locality in the city, the central part of which is filled with age-old buildings like IISc, CV Raman’s house, MLA School and many old houses. Central Malleshwaram has BJP and KJP state offices. Among popular personalities in the constituency are Sudharani (film actress), Ananth Nag (film actor) and Vimala Rangachar (president of Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat). This strong-hold of Janata Dal had catapulted the BJP to MLA’s chair, following the wave of sympathy for the Yeddyurappa-led BJP soon after Kumaraswamy burned bridges with the BJP and state went to polls again.   Incumbent MLA and his…