Governance

Gain in-depth understanding of civic administration, policy implementation and public policy. Find articles on the intricacies of urban governance, learn more about challenges and successes in local government operations, effectiveness of municipal bodies, and how it all affects the lives of citizens. Understand election processes and get critical information on choices and options. Be informed about active citizen engagement with governing authorities, and how residents can influence policy and hold them accountable.

S Suresh Kumar, a lawyer by profession, came into electoral politics as a city corporator in the year 1983 from the BJP. He was also its leader in the Council. Suresh Kumar has been closely associated with the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh and was even jailed during the Emergency. He became an MLA from Rajajinagar in 1994 and has been elected from the constituency from four times since then except in 2004 when he was defeated by Narendra Kumar N L of the Congress. He was the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs in the first BJP led Government of…

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If you are one among the lakhs of voters of Yelahanka, this is what you need to know! Background information Understand the role of the MLA Learn all you can about the candidates: see below Locate your voting booth: TBD How to cast your vote: TBD Incumbent MLA: S R Vishwanath 2008 Interview: “Today no politician wants to cut down trees” Related Data: http://opencity.in/information/karnataka-election-candidate-profile-s-r-vishwanath List of candidates, 2018 M N Gopalakrishna - Indian National Congress Family: Wife, 3 children Educational Qualification: PUC Profession: Agriculturalist, Real Estate Number of Pending Criminal Cases: None Net Worth (2018) 1. Income Tax Returns: 29.44Lacs+14.81Lacs(spouse)…

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Akhanda Srinivas Murthy is a first-time MLA from Pulakeshinagar constituency, which is reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC). He was one of the three city MLAs from JD(S). The PUC pass MLA was one of the first political leaders to respond when tensions escalated between the Army and the residents of JC Nagar over the access road to a 117-year-old mosque near Modi Gardens last year along with his party colleague from the Chamarajpet, Zameer Ahmed. He was suspended from the party for cross voting in the Rajya Sabha elections in 2016. He tendered his resignation from JD(S) party to the…

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Byrathi Basavaraj is a first-term MLA from K R Puram. He has managed to stay in news for alleged land mafia and for his supporters thrashing a mother and her son. Like most of the areas that were added when the Greater Bangalore area was formed, K R Puram area reels with very basic problems - lack of underground drains, water scarcity, garbage and traffic congestion which fall under the jurisdiction of the municipal councillors - a majority of who are from the Congress party. For a man who represents a constituency that is famous for its IT parks, Basavaraj…

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B N Vijay Kumar, who joined the BJP in 1990 is a three-term MLA from Jayanagar constituency. An engineer by qualification, he was an active member of RSS. Jayanagar, which was one of the first planned layouts in the city is considered an elite residential area with demography that has a mix of upper middle class and upper caste people. Vijaya Kumar, who is a brahmin, has had an easy run winning this constituency so far. As a planned layout the issues plaguing the Jayanagar constituency are not as basic as some of the newly formed areas of the city.…

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If you are one among the lakhs of voters of Sarvagna Nagar, this is what you need to know! Background information Find your constituency Understand the role of the MLA Learn all you can about the candidates: see below Locate your voting booth: TBD How to cast your vote: TBD Incumbent MLA: K J George Profile and Track Record Tracking Sarvajnanagar MLA K J George, who was also a minister 2013 Interview: I want to do much more, if re-elected: K J George 2012 Report card: Sarvagnanagar MLA K J George Performance evaluation from constituents: TBD Related Data: http://opencity.in/information/karnataka-election-candidate-profile-k-j-george List…

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Ravi Subrahmanya is a two-term MLA from Basavanagudi. He was associated with the RSS before being elected to the Assembly in 2008. His constituency has Basavanagudi, one of the oldest localities in the city and is home to the world famous Gavi Gandhareshwara Temple and Dodda Basavana Gudi - the Bull Temple. Unlike other BJP MLAs from the city, the legislator has maintained a relatively low profile. He made news when he invested Rs1.5 crore of the MLA LAD funds in a government school in his constituency. He has also been pushing the idea of Basavangudi Heritage Corridor for many…

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If you are one among the lakhs of voters of Gandhi Nagar, this is what you need to know! Background information: Understand the role of the MLA Learn all you can about the candidates: see below Locate your voting booth: TBD How to cast your vote: TBD Incumbent MLA: Dinesh Gundu Rao What has Dinesh Gundu Rao been upto in the last 5 years? Interview: TBD Performance evaluation from constituents: TBD Related Data: http://opencity.in/information/karnataka-election-candidate-profile-dinesh-gundu-rao List of candidates, 2018: Dinesh Gundu Rao Constituency: Gandhinagar Party: Indian National Congress Family: Wife & 3 Dependents Educational Qualification: B.E. Profession: Member of Legislative Assembly…

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Kelachandra Joseph George, hailing from Gonikoppa in Coorg district, is the third child of an agriculturist couple. He rose through the ranks as a member of Youth Congress and was known to be a protege of former Chief Minister Gundu Rao. He was first elected to the Karnataka Assembly in 1985 from erstwhile Bharatinagar constituency (which is now Sarvagna Nagar) and held the seat till 1994. He lost the Bharatinagar seat in 1994 when he became part of the rebel faction against the Karnataka Congress led by Bangarappa. He came back to electoral politics in 2008 to win the newly…

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Incumbent MLA and INC candidate for Pulakeshinagar constituency, Akhanda Srinivas Murthy, won by a margin of nearly 50% last time. Despite shifting loyalties and getting inducted into the party only in March, Murthy is confident of repeating the same performance. He was in the eye of the storm for cross-voting with seven other former JD(S) leaders in favor of INC leader KC Ramamurthy. Amidst the hustle and bustle of campaigning, he sat down with Citizen Matters for a chat at his home. DJ Halli area was in news for deaths of children due to malnutrition. What steps have been taken…

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