Find out how Yelahanka Assembly Constituency is faring and what the major issues in this constituency are. Learn about the incumbent MLA S R Vishwanath (BJP) and other candidates – Keshava Rajanna B, (INC), Munegowda M, (JDS) and P Manjunath P, (AAP).
About the constituency
Yelahanka assembly constituency is in Bengaluru Urban district and comes under the Chikkaballapur Lok Sabha constituency. Like other outer constituencies, Yelahanka constituency is a mix of rural and urban neighbourhoods. Parts of this region date back to the Vijayanagar Empire. Yelahanka was the birthplace of Kempegowda, Bengaluru’s founder. Kempegowda ward (1) was renamed by BBMP in his honour in 2009.
Yelahanka was a reserved constituency until the 2004 delimitation exercise. The constituency has five wards: Kempegowda Ward, Chowdeswari Ward, Someshwara Ward, Atturu Layout and Yelahanka Satellite Town. Of these, Kempegowda Ward is an exclave and is actually nestled in the heart of the neighbouring Byatarayanapura constituency.
The constituency is one of the largest in the city at over 350 sq km and can be seen as the border of Bengaluru in the North and neighbours towns like Doddaballapura and Devanahalli. Yelahanka is home to the Mother Dairy Plant of the Karnataka Milk Federation. The dairy plant is an important aggregator for milk producers in the surrounding districts of Bengaluru Rural and Chikkaballapur.
The constituency is also home to the Rail Wheel Factory. The Kempegowda International Airport is near Yelahanka constituency and has influenced the real estate market in the region. The constituency is also home to several lakes, including Yelahanka Puttenahalli Lake, Yelahanka lake, Allalasandra lake and the Hesaraghatta lake and grasslands. The Avalahalli Reserve forest also falls within this constituency.
S R Vishwanath of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the sitting MLA and has been in the position since 2008.
At a glance
| Constituency Name | Yelahanka |
| Constituency No | 150 |
| Constituency Area (in sq.km) | 352.28 |
| Number of voters (January 2023) | 407,217 |
| Male voters | 208,075 |
| Female voters | 199,066 |
| Other voters | 76 |
Data for all 28 constituencies can be found here. Corresponding source: ceo.karnataka.gov.in
Key issues in the constituency
Like the rest of Bengaluru, Yelahanka suffers from traffic issues, particularly because of airport travel. BBMP announced in 2020 that three new flyovers would ease traffic in the area. No progress was made on this for two years. Then in April 2023, MLA SR Vishwanth laid foundation stones for two of these flyovers.
The constituency also suffers from poor roads, particularly in the more rural and interior localities. BBMP has been criticised for spending several crores installing large statues in the area, rather than completing infrastructure works.
Residents of Yelahanka New Town in the constituency also complained that lack of street lights made the areas unsafe and led to thefts.
In 2022, heavy rains caused major flooding across Yelahanka constituency. CM Basavaraj Bommai announced a compensation and overhaul of drain works. BBMP began a massive drive to remove encroachments from storm water drains. In March 2023, with elections approaching, residents alleged that BBMP was undertaking unnecessary drain work and breaking down functional drains and installing new ones.
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* |
|---|---|
| 21 Govt schools 1 school for 16.67 sq. km | Low |
Yelahanka is among the bottom nine constituencies in terms of government schools. Currently, there is one school for 16.67 sq km, placing it among the lowest nine constituencies. This suggests that children have to travel farther than ideal to access a school.
Mobility
| Metrics / Count | Rating* |
|---|---|
| 0 Metro Stations | No rating |
| 312 Bus Stops | Low |
| 14 Bus trips per 100 residents daily | Medium |
Yelahanka currently has no metro stations. The constituency rated low in terms of number of bus stops per sq km. However, in terms of frequency of buses at these stops, the constituency had a medium rating. The frequency of buses could be partly because of buses plying on the Airport Road, which is partly within the constituency. However, the low number of bus stops suggest that particularly the interior and more rural parts of the constituency are not being served adequately.
Citizen engagement
| Metrics / Count | Rating* |
|---|---|
| Voter turnout 2013: 66.93% 2018: 62.72% | High |
| 5 wards held 131 ward committee meetings in two years | High |
| 32 meetings per ward | High |
Voter turnout in the constituency remained almost the same and was higher than the city wide average turnout, which was approximately 54% in 2018. Yelahanka was also among the constituencies with the highest number of ward committee meetings between 2020 and 2022. Most of these meetings would have happened between two major COVID waves and lockdowns.
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* |
|---|---|
| 0 Namma Clinics | |
| 2 Urban PHCs | |
| 49 Anganwadis | |
| 1 BBMP maternity hospital |
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 details on how all constituencies fare
Constituency map
Citizen demands
Based on media reports, flood control, increased safety and easing traffic congestions are the main demands of citizens.
Incumbent MLA: S R Vishwanath
S R Vishwanath is the current MLA of the Yelahanka constituency and has been in the post since 2008. He is part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He completed a vocational training diploma and apprenticeship from BEML in 1983 and worked in HAL as a flight control technician and in 2007 was appointed the union president at the company.
Vishwanath joined the RSS in 1978 and subsequently the BJP. He became the Bangalore BJP Zilla Yuva Morcha general secretary in 1992. He won the Zilla Panchayat elections from Hesaraghatta in 2000. He has two pending criminal cases.
Work in the term
In 2021, MLA Vishwanath, promised to expedite the construction of three flyovers to ease traffic in Yelahanka. He laid foundation stones for two of these in April 2023, a few weeks before the elections and two years after his initial promise.
He has also claimed that 200 CCTV cameras were installed in the constituency using Nirbhaya Funds, but miscreants have damaged at least 18 of them.
He asked civic agencies to expedite water and electricity infrastructure works in his constituency in 2021. But these issues continue to plague Yelahanka. In 2022, he strongly objected to the State Wildlife Board’s plan to declare Hesarghatta a conservation reserve.
BDA Chairman
In 2020, Chief Minister Yedyurappa appointed Vishwanath, the Chairman of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). The appointment was controversial and was challenged in the Karnataka High Court. The petition argued that Vishwanath could not hold both MLA and Chairman posts. The High Court however dismissed the petition as the BDA rules for appointment were not clear.
Since his appointment as BDA chairman, Vishwananth has been accused of flouting rules a few times. In July 2021, he became head of the allotment committee, which is a violation of the BDA Act. In August 2021, he was accused of illegally allotting sites by abusing this position.
Vishwanath also laid the foundation stone for the controversial Shivaram Karanth Layout. Farmers whose land was being acquired for the project protested what they alleged was forcible acquisition and high handedness.
Vishwanath has also claimed that BDA had become monetarily profitable since his takeover. He also said that he would work towards easing rules of site allotment for the benefit of the poor.
In the news
- In March 2023, SR Vishwanath claimed the BDA had become financially stronger
- In the same month, media reported that as a member of the Tirupathi Temple board, he routinely sent out his constituents on free trips to the temple. Vishwanath denied this had anything to do with elections. He reacted to news reports pointing our
- In January 2023, he inaugurated the much delayed Hebbal flyover expansion work and claimed the work would be completed within a year.
- The MLA defended himself against an allegation of illegal allotment of sites as head of the allotment committee. He said the assumption was that officers would do their due diligence.
- In December 2022, he accused sub-registrars in the city of being corrupt.
- In December 2022, a Congress leader was allegedly caught on tape plotting SR Vishwanath’s murder.
- In September 2022, he strongly objected to the plan to make Hesarghatta a conservation reserve
- In March 2021, almost a year after taking over as BDA chairman, he alleged that the agency was robbed by scams perpetrated by officers.
- In January 2020, the MLA and his associates were embroiled in a controversy with students of the Srishti School of Design, located in Yelahanka. The MLA threatened legal action against Srishti students over a graffiti perceived as being critical of PM Modi. He also heckled female students for their clothing according to the students.
List of candidates
Incumbent MLA: SR Vishwanath (BJP)
He has been the MLA from this constituency since 2008. He is also the current BDA chairman. He has no pending criminal cases.
- Education: Education: ITI, Vocational diploma
- Profession: Agriculture, Social Service, MLA
- Online: Twitter -@srvishwanathbjp; Instagram – @@srvishwanathbjp
- Net worth: Rs 70 Crore
- Political experience: Three time MLA, Zilla Parishad, BJP Yuva Morcha
Wealth declaration
| Details | Holdings in 2018 | Holdings in 2023 | Change in % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Movable Assets | 2.7 Crore | 21.7 Crore | 700% increase |
| Immovable property | 40 Crore | 49 Crore | 21% increase |
| Liabilities | 1.6 crore | 77 Lakh | 52% decrease |
| Total | 43.1 Crore | 70 Crore | 64% increase |
Source: https://affidavit.eci.gov.in/
Candidate: Keshava Rajanna B, INC
Keshava Rajanna B is the KPCC Secretary. He has two pending criminal cases against him.
- Education: B. Com
- Online: Twitter – @KeshavaRajannaB; Instagram- @keshavarajannab
- Profession: Director, Arna Dairy Farm
- Net worth: Rs 111.5 crores
- Political Experience: Party worker, General Secretary KPCC
Candidate: Munegowda M, JD(S)
Munegowda is a first time candidate in the constituency. He has no pending cases against him.
- Education: Pre-University
- Online: Twitter – @MunegowdaM10; Instagram- @smunegowda Facebook – munegowdasvc
- Profession: Business
- Net worth: Rs 12 Crore
- Political Experience: Party worker; Elected office experience-Nil
Candidate: P Manjunatha, AAP
Manjunath P is a first time political candidate from AAP. He has no pending cases against him.
- Education: 4th Standard
- Online: Twitter- NIL Facebook- NIL; Instagram – NIL
- Profession: Social activist/businessman
- Net worth: Rs 1.58 Crore
- Political experience: Nil
Full list of candidates
Past elections results
| 2018 | Candidate | Party | Vote Share (%) 2018 | Vote Share (%) 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | S.R.Vishwanath | BJP | 49% | 38.5% |
| 2 | A M Hanumanthegowda | JD(S) | 31.66% | – |
| 3 | M N Gopalakrishna | INC | 13.69% | – |
| 4 | B. Chandrappa | JD(S) | – | 29.12% |
| 5 | M N Gopalakrishna | INC | – | 26.7% |
[With inputs from Poornima Nambiar]