Bengaluru: Yelahanka is one among the 12 Assembly constituencies represented by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the State Assembly. While Congress candidates represent 13 Assembly segments, three Janata Dal (Secular) candidates have won from the remaining three Assembly constituencies. And among the three JD(S) MLAs, two have been identified as the dissidents who are set to join Congress in December and contest to the Assembly from their respective constituencies next year.
Once, Yelahanka, a reserved constituency, was considered as Congress fortress. Its candidates won seven times from this constituency. While late Basava Lingappa represented Yelahanka in the State Assembly for three times (1978, 1985 and 1989) his son B Prasanna Kumar got elected twice (1999 and 2004) as a Congress candidate. With the Election Commission reserving Yelahanka for general candidates, BJP candidate S.R. Vishwanath got elected twice (2008 and 2013) from this constituency.
Vishwanath defeated Congress candidate B. Chandrappa with a margin of 16,022 votes in 2008. Vishwanath got polled 60,975 votes while Chandrappa managed to get 44,953 votes. However, Chandrappa defected to the JD(S) from Congress to contest from Yelahanka in 2013. Though Chandrappa got more votes (57110) as the JD(S) candidate in 2013, BJP candidate Vishwanath romped home with more votes (75,507). He defeated Chandrappa with a margin of 18,397 votes while Congress candidate Gopala Krishna M.N. was relegated to the third position with 26.7 per cent of votes (52,372).
The voters of Yelahanka attribute proactive attitude of the present incumbent’s success in the elections. They opine that nothing can stop him romping home again in the Assembly elections scheduled for the next year. “We are happy with MLA Vishwanath’s initiative in taking up developmental works. We never forget his help when the BBMP authorities launched the demolition of buildings allegedly built on the storm water drain,’’ Jyothi Prakash, a resident of Yelahanka Satellite Town, said.
The residents said they find no hassles whenever they want to meet their elected representative. They said MLA Vishwanath played a key role in rejuvenating and developing Allalasandra Lake. “He, in association with the Urban Development Department and the BBMP, has organised Allalasandra Lake Festival. It was a great success. Yelahanka Satellite Town is known for having a number of parks,’’ opines Shanthamma Gowda, a resident of Allalasandra.
It is not that there are no residents who are unhappy with the MLA. There are voters who opine that winning in the next Assembly election may not be a bed of roses for the present incumbent. They cite the example of his wife Vanishree’s defeat in the BBMP elections held in 2015. Vanishree contested from Chowdeshwari ward which was won by BJP corporator K.V. Yashodha in 2010. Congress candidate defeated Vanishree with a margin of more than 3,000 votes.
“I don’t think Vishwanath to win in the next Assembly elections. How can you expect him to get elected when he was not able to ensure the win of his wife in his own constituency,’’ said S. Ramakrishna, a resident of Chowdeswari Nagar.
There are four BBMP wards in Yelahanka Assembly constituency. While three wards – Kempegowda, Attur, and Yelahanka Satellite Town – are represented by the BJP corporators such as ChandrammaKempegowda, Nathra Pallavi M, and Satheesh M, one ward – Chowdeswari – is represented by Congress corporator R Padmavathi.
There are 2,75,875 voters in Yelahanka Assembly constituency and among them, 1,42,517 are male voters and 1,33,333 are female voters.
All in all, Vishwanath cannot afford to be negligent in the next Assembly elections.
