Amit Shah’s rally chokes traffic in south Bengaluru

BJP national president Amit Shah’s roadshow covered a 1.2 km stretch, starting from TTMC to Sindhuri Conventional in JP Nagar.
BJP national chief Amit Shah campaigns for Bangalore South candidate Tejasvi Surya in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Newly-appointed state vice-president Tejaswini Ananth Kumar and state president BS Yeddyuppa were also present | Nagaraja Gadekal
BJP national chief Amit Shah campaigns for Bangalore South candidate Tejasvi Surya in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Newly-appointed state vice-president Tejaswini Ananth Kumar and state president BS Yeddyuppa were also present | Nagaraja Gadekal

BENGALURU: BJP’s national president Amit Shah’s visit to the city affected traffic movement in south Bengaluru, especially areas in and around  Banashankari, JP Nagar and Jayanagar. Even before Shah landed for the roadshow here, BJP supporters and local leaders gathered in large numbers in front of TTMC in Banashankari on Tuesday evening.  As they occupied most of the roads in the area, traffic during evening peak hours was affected. 

The roadshow covered a 1.2 km stretch, starting from TTMC to Sindhuri Conventional in JP Nagar, and passing through Sarakki. Gurumurthy, a commuter, said, “I was near TTMC in Banashankari at around 8 pm where thousands of people had gathered and blocked most of the road. I was stuck in traffic for almost 20 minutes. Many BMTC buses had also got stuck there, making it impossible for us to pass.  Roadshows should not be allowed during peak hours.”

Vehicular movement on Outer Ring Road in Banashankari, Padamanabha Nagar and Basavangudi was also affected. Chandru, who rides a two-wheeler, said, “I was on my way to Katriguppe to visit a relative in hospital, and despite being on a two-wheeler, I had a tough time making my way through the crowd. Cops also had a tough time managing traffic, while also making way for VVIPs taking part in the rally.”

This is not the first time the citizens were inconvenienced due to a political rally this election season. At least four ambulances were stuck in traffic jams that lasted up to 30 minutes in the city on Sunday evening during the Congress-JD(S) rally, Parivarathana Samavesha, that was held on Tumkur highway, Madawara, near Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC). Earlier, I-T raids on associates of political leaders had triggered a protest, which incovenienced commuters on and around Queen’s Road.

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