BENGALURU: The BBMP election for the wards in the K R Puram Assembly Constituency has turned into a personal fight between Congress MLA Byrati Basavaraju and former BJP MLA Nandeesh Reddy.
A Congress victory will help Basavaraju to further consolidate his position as an ‘emerging’ leader in Bengaluru. For Nandeesh Reddy, a victory will help him reclaim his hold on the constituency.
Till 2008, the constituency was a Congress bastion represented by late A Krishnappa. However, Reddy won the assembly poll in 2008 riding the BJP wave. The BJP also managed to winn eight out of nine wards in the 2010 BBMP elections. The Congress won only in Basavanapura ward.
But the sudden emergence of ultra-rich Byrati brothers in the political arena has pushed Reddy to a backseat. He lost badly in the 2013 Assembly elections.
Reddy is now leaving no stone unturned to win the BBMP elections and according sources, he has been preparing the ground six month before. He has managed to bring Krishnappa’s daughter sitting corporator Poornima Srinivas into BJP. She is contesting from K R Puram ward. Poornima thinks his father’s works and the sympathy will help her sail through. Congress’ D K Mohan is a close confidante of Byrati brothers and he is giving Poornima a tough fight.
Barring Poornima and BJP candidate from Devasandra ward sitting corporator Manjula Devi, all candidates are new. Thanks to change in reservation. There is a direct fight between Congress and BJP in all nine wards.
In Devasandra, Manjuladevi is pitted against president of K R Pura Congress youth wing M N Srikant. Manjula was forced into the fray as she was reluctant following murder of her husband Srinivas. BJP is hoping to cash in on sympathy.
K R Puram was formed when the erstwhile Varthur Assembly constituency and a few areas of Hoskote Assembly constituency were merged. Krishnarajapuram is the headquarters of Bangalore East taluk and houses a large number of government offices.
Six polling booths from Bhattarahalli and Seegehalli of Hoskote Assembly constituency have been included in this segment, which is part of Bangalore North parliamentary constituency.
People say Mysuru Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar used to visit the city frequently and also check on the progress of the area. The Krishnarajapuram Market has a history of 150 years.
The cable bridge on the junction of Old Madras Road and Outer Ring Road has been declared the most outstanding national bridge by the Indian Institution of Bridge Engineers.
The area has its own set of problems. Traffic congestion, sewage disposal issues, lack of storm-water drains and bad roads are common complaints.
As many as 10 villages that were included within the BBMP limits when the Greater Bangalore area was formed are also part of this constituency.