Same old issues, same rivals in this seat

Byatarayanapura is one of the largest constituencies in the state with 4.19 lakh voters. Located along the road to the Kempegowda International Airport, it is like gateway to Bengaluru.

Byatarayanapura has a mix of urban, semi-urban and rural population. It has seven wards, of which four are held by the Congress and three by BJP, and eight gram panchayats.

Byatarayanapura constituency came into to existence post delimitation in 2008.

Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda (Congress) won in 2008 and 2013 against A Ravi of the BJP, also a Gowda (Vokkaliga) and is facing him again for the third time in a row. Bytarayanapura is predominantly a Vokkaliga dominated segment with a mix of other communities.

Govindaraju K, a resident of Dasarahalli in the constituency, said there is a huge traffic jam in his village with many apartments having come up in the recent years.

Drinking water facility

This has made lives of locals miserable. There is no drinking water facility and sewage connections. “Now, pipeline has been laid and we have to see when the connections are given. A large number of people still depend on borewells and water tankers.”

BJP candidate Ravi said that though Gowda is a two-time MLA, people of the constituency have hardly seen him. He has failed to provide basic amenities such as drinking water, roads and sewage lines. Hundreds of houses were demolished but owners have not been given compensation. There is no government hospital and people have to go to Yelahanka or KC General Hospital in Malleswaram. There is no government college also.

There were irregularities in laying of pipelines, Ravi states.
Ravi, a cousin of senior BJP leader R Ashoka, is hoping that voters will be sympathetic to him as he has lost to Gowda twice in a row.

‘Poor infrastructure’

T G Chandra from JD(S) said Gowda has not taken proper decision on widening of roads and, in some places there are just 10-foot-wide roads, which cause huge traffic snarls. Work on
Kodigehalli railway underpass is pending for past four-and-a-half years.

This has caused misery to residents of Byatarayanapura. There are nearly 25 lakes in the constituency and there is a need for their rejuvenation to solve drinking water problem in the area. Farmers have been demanding setting up of cold storages and employment to youth.

‘Priority for Cauvery issue’

Gowda said that his priority is to provide Cauvery water to all the seven wards and restoring the roads. Since the Metro is going to pass through his constituency, he wants to hasten the work. Many flyovers have been sanctioned and he wants to complete them early. He also wants to take waste segregation from current 55% to 80%.

He wants to improve traffic congestion by widening roads and footpaths.
Gowda said that 13 lakes have been already rejuvenated and he wants to fill water into five lakes at present, to solve the water problem.

The Cauvery water pipeline has already been laid to provide water to 10,000 households but only six households have paid money for the water connection.