Bengaluru: BTM (Byrasandra, Thavarekere and Madiwala) Layout is one of the Assembly segment where lot of development has taken place due to its proximity to Electronics City, the hub of IT industry.
It is represented by Minister for Transport Ramalinga Reddy for the second time. Reddy defeated Bharathiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate G. Prasad Reddy with a majority of 1,856 votes in 2008. It was a narrow margin for a seasoned politician like Reddy who began his career as a corporator a few decades ago. However, he managed to improve the margin of votes in the Assembly elections held in 2013. He defeated his nearest rival BJP candidate N. Sudhakar by a margin of 49,048 votes. While he polled 69,712 votes, BJP candidate was way behind with polling only 20,664 votes.
There are 2,12,941 voters in BTM Layout Assembly segment, while 1,11,738 male voters, 1,01,203 are female voters.
This segment remained Congress bastion in the elections held for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Council in 2015. Among the eight wards, Congress candidates succeeded in winning from five wards such as Adugodi, Ejipura, Koramangala, Suddagunte Palya and Madiwala. BJP candidates won from Lakkasandra and Jakkasandra wards while Janata Dal (Secular) candidate won from BTM Layout ward.
The residents, especially those working at IT companies, want the elected representative to improve the infrastructure for smooth movement of vehicular traffic since most of the roads are choked with vehicles round the clock.
“It is very difficult to commute on these roads during the peak hours. There are occasions where movement of vehicles affected badly due poor regulation by the traffic police,’’ said Puttaswamy, an autorickshaw driver.
The BBMP spent crores of money to improve the infrastructure at Madiwala vegetable market but the civic body failed to lift the garbage on a daily basis thus causing lot of inconvenience for not only the vendors but also the customers. “The conservancy workers are not regular. There is no use even if we complain. I want the elected representative who took initiative to modernize this market has to direct the BBMP authorities to keep the market clean on par with
Krishnarajendra Market (City Market) which is being cleaned on every Monday,’’ Nadhiya, a vegetable vendor at Madiwala market, said.
The other problem in this assembly segment is the slow progress of the construction of Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus station at Kuvempu Nagar. It is proposed to be constructed in 24 months at an estimated cost of Rs 67.62 crore. But it is yet to be completed even after two years and nine months. The delay is causing lot of problems for commuters, BMTC staffs and residents.
“The delay in completing the work has been causing lot of problems for us. Traffic jams have become a daily feature here. BMTC drivers park the vehicles on service road and cross roads thus making vehicles movement difficult,’’ said a shop owner on a condition of anonymity.
There is acute shortage of drinking water at Ejipura ward that is represented by Congress corporator T. Ramachandra. The residents want the elected representatives to direct the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to supply Cauvery water to their locality. “We have been suffering for the last six years. We have been complaining to the authorities concerned all these years but in vain,’’ said Shanthi Mary, a home-maker residing at Ejipura 11th Cross.
Congress candidate Ramalinga Reddy will have a cakewalk in the next elections if BJP fails to field a candidate with mass base as well as a deep pocket.
Meanwhile, Minister Ramalinga Reddy was not available for comment.
