Find out how Shivajinagar Assembly Constituency is faring and what has been happening in this constituency. Learn about the incumbent MLA Rizwan Arshad (INC) and other candidates – N Chandra (BJP) and Prakash Nedungadi (AAP).
About the constituency
Shivajinagar assembly constituency includes Sampangiramanagar, Vasanthnagar, Shivajinagar, Bharathinagar, Ulsoor and Jayamahal wards. The Shivajinagar ward largely comprises of crowded market areas, including the famed Russell Market and Commercial Street, Bamboo Bazaar and Pottery Town.
The constituency includes the British Cantonment area, thus several institutions and monuments of the British era can be found here.
Other wards are a mix of commercial and residential pockets of diverse groups. The constituency is home to people of diverse faiths. Several well-known places of worship, including the St Mary’s Basilica, Juma Masjid and Sree Ekambareshawara temple are located in this constituency.
The constituency also has several well known educational institutions including Mount Carmel College, Army School, etc. A heavily urbanised area, the constituency does not have many open spaces but is home to the famed Ulsoor lake.
As it is centrally located and long established, Shivajinagar constituency is well connected to public transport. There are metro stops and numerous bus stops in the area.
The Shivajinagar Bus Depot is an important public transportation landmark in the constituency. The Cantonment railway station, which is being expanded and will also connect to the suburban rail network, is in this constituency.
R Roshan Baig of Indian National Congress (INC) won the seat in the 2018 assembly elections. The seat became vacant in June 2019 after he was suspended from the Indian National Congress for ‘anti-party’ statements and activities.
Rizwan Arshad, also from INC, won the subsequent by-election. Shivajinagar falls in the Bangalore Central parliamentary constituency and P C Mohan (BJP) is the MP.
At a glance
| Constituency Name | Shivajinagar |
| Constituency No | 162 |
| Constituency Area (in sq.km) | 12.74 |
| Number of voters (January 2023) | 1,94,937 |
| Male voters | 98,272 |
| Female voters | 96,658 |
| Other voters | 7 |
Data for all 28 constituencies can be found here. Corresponding source: ceo.karnataka.gov.in
Key issues in the constituency
At forums organised by DH-Prajavani, residents of the constituency flagged issues they faced. They wanted better coordination among departments. Residents of Nandidurga road raised the issue of maintenance of model roads built in their neighbourhood.
As Shivajinagar is an old and densely built up constituency, parking issues are a major problem. Areas like Ulsoor and Jayamahal have repeatedly complained about this. Slow pace of infrastructure work, such as road widening issues in Jayamahal are also causing issues.
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.
Schooling
| Metrics / Count | Rating* |
|---|---|
| 16 Govt Schools 1 school for 0.79 sq Km | Medium |
For schooling too, Shivajinagar is among mid-tier constituencies.
Mobility
| Metrics / Count | Rating* |
|---|---|
| 5 Metro Stations | – |
| 63 Bus Stops | High |
| 67.43 Bus trips per 100 residents daily | High |
The constituency rated ‘high’ in terms of number of bus stops per sq km and for the number of bus trips per 100 residents.
Citizen engagement
| Metrics / Count | Rating* |
|---|---|
| Voter turnout 2013: 54.27% 2018: 54.33% | Low |
| 109 ward committee meetings were held | Low |
| 15.5 meetings per ward | Low |
Voter turnout has been the same for the 2013 and 2018 elections. However, Shivajinagar has a low rating for ward committee meetings between 2020 and 2022.
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* |
|---|---|
| 4 Namma clinics | – |
| 3 UPHCs | – |
| 11 Anganwadis | – |
| 5 BBMP hospitals (general and maternity) | – |
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
Based on media reports, residents want traffic problems to be solved, including parking issues. They want road and other infrastructure work to be completed on time.
Incumbent MLA: Rizwan Arshad, INC
Rizwan Arshad the current MLA of Shivaji Nagar won the December 2019 bypoll. He was also the Congress candidate for Bangalore Central constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections and 2014 Elections, but was unsuccessful.
Work in the term
Rizwan Arshad engaged with the BBMP to complete the work of a compound wall around the Thiruvalluvar statue. This also got political with the BJP accusing INC of trying to remove the statue.
Under the Smart City Project, BBMP funds and MLA LAD funds Shivajinagar’s Russel Market and Chandini Chowk got a facelift with the MLA working with BBMP officials to ensure implementation.
A heritage well, that predates the British in the city, was also revived as a part of this project. A Shivajinagar Carnival was organised when the project was completed.
Stormwater drain works were also taken up after meeting with the elected representatives, BWSSB and BBMP. Strict fines for garbage dumping were implemented.
Reports suggest that Rizwan Arshad was instrumental in mobilising CSR funds for improving healthcare facilities in the constituency and upgrading government and aided schools in the constituency.
An election promise of Rizwan Arshad was to bring relief to the IMA depositors and he has raised the issue with the authorities.
The MLA also faced challenging times when women came out to protest against him implying he organised a raid on a godown that distributed free rations during festivals including Ramzan.
In the news
- In a February 2023 report, Rizwan Arshad was appreciated for his efforts to improve waste management in Shivajinagar
- In Feb 2023, Rizwan Arshad approached the special officer Aditya Amlan Biswas to provide relief to distributors caught up in the IMA scam.
- After the Chilume voter data story, the MLA petitioned the Chief Election Commissioner to look into voters being deleted from his constituency. He alleged that about 85% of those removed or about 9,000 voters deleted belonged to the minority communities.
- Rizwan Arshad and others approached the courts against further revision of the voters’ list after the publication of the ‘final list’, but the HC rejected their plea, stating that the law allowed revisions till the last day of nominations. In the same hearing, the HC advised the EC to be cautious of the impression it was creating about voter deletions in the constituency.
- In November 2022, it was reported that Mohammad Harris lobbied for the ticket from Shivajinagar.
- In August 2022, he joined other INC MLAs in criticising BBMP’s new ward reservation plan for favouring BJP.
- In 2020, Rizwan Arshad was questioned by the NIA regarding his knowledge on the Bangalore East riots.
- In a 2020 interview, he criticised the state government’s handling of the pandemic and explained how Shivajinagar was being managed.
- During the 2019 by-election held after Roshan Baig was ousted from INC, Rizwan Arshad accused the former of sabotaging his Lok Sabha campaign.
Governance record
His attendance record during his term was 85.57%.
List of candidates
Incumbent MLA: Rizwan Arshad, INC
Rizwan Arshad is a former Lok Sabha Candidate and incumbent MLA. He has four cases related to the Mekedatu padayatre against him.
- Education: B. Com, Mysore University
- Profession: Businessman
- Online: Twitter – @ArshadRizwan; Instagram – @rizzarshad; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RizwanArshad
- Net worth: Rs 20.45 Crore
- Political experience: Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress president. MLA for three years.
Wealth declaration
| Details | Holdings in 2018 | Holdings in 2023 | Change in % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Movable Assets | Rs 10.6 Cr | Rs 1.72 Cr | 15.26 % decline |
| Immovable property | Rs 14.30 Cr | Rs 19.15 Cr | 33% increase |
| Liabilities | Rs 4.44 Cr | Rs 7.06 Cr | 58.89% increase |
| Total | Rs 7.94 Cr | Rs 20.45 Cr | 16 % decrease |
Source: https://affidavit.eci.gov.in/
Candidate: Prakash Nedungadi, AAP
Prakash Nedungadi is a first time MLA candidate from AAP. He has no elected office experience. He has no cases against him.
- Education: MBA, IIM Calcutta / Stanford
- Online: Website –https://www.prakashnedungadi.com/ Twitter – @AapkaPrakashN; Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/aapkaprakash.in/; Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/aapkaprakash.in/
- Profession: Social Worker (retired from his corporate career)
- Net worth: 50.67 crore
- Political Experience: Prakash joined AAP in 2020 and since has been working at the ward level in 2 wards of Shivajinagar constituency
Candidate: N Chandra (BJP)
N Chandra is a first time MLA candidate from BJP. He has two pending criminal cases.
- Education: SSLC (not completed)
- Online: Twitter – @rahulchandru29; Instagram – nchandra4shivajinagar
- Profession: Agriculturist
- Net worth: Rs 8.52 Crore
- Political Experience: Was the corporator of Ramaswamypalaya ward.
Full list of candidates
Past elections results
| Candidate | Party | Vote Share (%) 2019 (byelection) | Vote Share (%) 2018 | Vote Share (%) 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rizwan Arshad | INC | 53.56% | – | – |
| M.Saravana | BJP | 39.04% | – | – |
| Abdul Hannan | SDPI | 3.37% | – | – |
| R Roshan Baig | INC | – | 55.00% | – |
| Katta Subramanya Naidu | BJP | – | 41.00% | – |
| NOTA | NOTA | – | 2.00% | – |
| R Roshan Baig | INC | – | – | 63.00% |
| Nirmal Surana | BJP | – | – | 37.00% |
| Abbas Ali Bohra | JD(S) | – | – | 0.00% |