Political veteran SM Krishna, as Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1999 to 2004, set up the Bangalore Agenda Task Force – a public-private partnership that included the likes of Infosys Co-founder Nandan Nilekani. These business leaders worked pro bono with the state government to try and bring the Karnataka capital into the 21st century. Their work was praised. Many residents felt the city’s infrastructure was improving. But come elections, that didn’t help the Congress.
Mr Krishna’s rivals painted the West-educated Fulbright scholar as a man who focused on urban issues at the cost of rural areas. There would have been other factors at play, but Mr Krishna could not lead the Congress back to power with a majority in the 2004 elections.
In the years after that, state Congress leaders seemed wary of being perceived as obsessed with Bengaluru. The Janata Dal Secular, which projects itself as a party for the farmers, formed a coalition government with the Congress in 2004, and was firmly pro-rural in its policies. The party was faulted for apparently making Bengaluru feel neglected. (Maybe we could say ‘Bengaluru began to feel neglected.’)
The collapse of the JDS-Congress coalition led to events that saw the BJP form a government in the state for the first time, in a coalition with the JDS.
The BJP in Karnataka is a party with strength in the urban areas. It does well in big cities like Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Mangaluru. With the rise of the BJP, it became more acceptable to focus on Bengaluru once again.
In its manifesto for next week’s election, the BJP has promised to upgrade Bengaluru to a State Capital Region – on the lines of the National Capital Region – if it comes to power. The party says this would mean a focus on city development, better transportation, and better digital connectivity. The party also promises to focus on employment opportunities and healthcare.
There’s more proof that the ruling party takes Bengaluru very seriously indeed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi planned to go on a long roadshow of over 30 km through 17 of the city’s 28 assembly constituencies on Saturday. Citing traffic worries, the party later rejigged that plan and announced that PM Modi would instead tour 19 constituencies over two days.
Bengaluru today is a city that provides fertile ground for attack by any opposition party on many fronts. The city’s infrastructure has not been able to cope with the rapid growth in population and the spiraling demand for housing, transport, water, garbage management, good roads – basic civic needs.
There is hardly any part of the city that doesn’t bear testimony to administrative failure. Take the flooding in low-lying areas every time there is heavy rain. It becomes easy for those not in charge to point fingers and call out failures. But the accusers may have been the ones who allowed the problem to grow when they were in power. Each government has been guilty of ignoring lake encroachments and illegal constructions that blocked storm water drains, enabling chronic flooding.
This time around, it is the Congress that has been on the offensive on Bengaluru’s civic problems, promising solutions should the party be voted to power. Congress MLAs and candidates in Bengaluru know that it is a priority for the voter who spends hours in traffic every day. The party has made promises to speed up Phase 3 of the city’s Metro and clean up its lakes.
The Janata Dal Secular, the state’s third major party, has not made big inroads into Bengaluru city; its strength remains in the largely agricultural regions of Old Mysuru. They would hope to do better in the city this time round.
Weary Bengaluru residents may not be holding their collective breath. They have seen a lot of big promises before.
The city’s 28 seats are a considerable portion of the 224-seat assembly. The number cannot be ignored in the math for a majority.
The three Lok Sabha seats of Bengaluru are all with the BJP. Of the 28 Assembly seats, the Congress won 15 seats, BJP 11, and the JDS two in 2018.
Despite its growing pains, Bengaluru’s image of a modern, cosmopolitan city of opportunities is one that every party would like to be associated with. It is known as India’s IT capital, science capital, and is still the leading city for startups. Bengaluru is a popular stop for foreign dignitaries.
No party would want to be ‘Bangalored’ in this election.
(Maya Sharma is a senior television journalist and writer based in Bengaluru.)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author.
