K.J. George | Photo Credit: File Photo
Krishna Byre Gowda | Photo Credit: File Photo
Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar | Photo Credit: ANI
As the new Congress-led State government will be formed on Saturday, residents of Bengaluru want a dedicated Minister for the city. For the last four years, the portfolio was held by the Chief Minister.
The names of senior Congress MLAs from the city K.J. George and Ramalinga Reddy, who have held the portfolio earlier, and young faces Krishna Byre Gowda and Dinesh Gundu Rao are doing the rounds for the plum portfolio. However, speculation is rife that KPCC president and Deputy Chief Minister designate D.K. Shivakumar is himself interested in being in-charge of the city, amidst speculations that even Chief Minister designate Siddaramaiah may himself retain it, like under the BJP government before.
However, civic activists and officials, whom The Hindu spoke to said the city needs a dedicated Minister and the experiment of the CM and DyCM holding charge of the city, along with other heavy duty ministries, had clearly failed.
“During the floods last year, it was evident that then CM Basavaraj Bommai was not able to give adequate time and focus for the city,” a senior official said. A senior BBMP official said that the Bengaluru Development Minister is very important to coordinate between the civic agencies and resolve issues between agencies to give quality governance to the city. “For everything officials or people can’t go to the chief minister,” the official.
“We do need a Bengaluru Minister now more than before. The Congress manifesto promised radical reform in governance including bringing all parastatal agencies under the BBMP. Amendments to BBMP legislation needs a seasoned lawmaker to be at the helm of affairs to build consensus in house committees and with the public,” said citizen activist Srinivas Alavilli. However, the agency under which all the parastatals will be brought under will likely be chaired by the CM, sources said.
Apart from this, the infrastructure projects proposed in the Congress manifesto are not only eye-catching but also likely to raise hackles of the civil society in the city. Navigating this space needs someone skillful.
Congress has proposed constructing north-south and south-east elevated corridors and constructing tunnel roads in the Central Business District (CBD) areas under PPP model. These projects were mooted by K.J. George when he was the Bengaluru Development Minister during Congress’s previous regime. The steel flyover project he championed had to be dropped under pressure from the people.
“Bengaluru is finally entering a good phase from a mobility perspective. Metro to Whitefield, suburban, BMTC app and electric buses, BMLTA, all of them are coming together and the next five years have great potential to get rid of our ‘worst traffic city’ brand. Focus on sustainable mobility and people centric policies like free bus for women and students instead of flyovers Which are short-term band aids even in the best case scenario,” Mr. Alavilli said.
Contenders
K. J. George: Six time MLA, former Bengaluru Development Minister under Siddaramaiah. Considered close to CM Siddaramaiah
Ramalinga Reddy: Eight-time MLA and four-time Minister; considered Congress’s face for the city. Has earlier been in-charge of the city.
D.K. Shivakumar: KPCC president and Deputy Chief Minister in the new Cabinet. Eight-time MLA from Kanakapura taluk on the outskirts of the city, has handled the Urban Development portfolio before.
Dinesh Gundu Rao: Former KPCC president and six-time MLA from Gandhinagar. Considered to be one of the young urban faces of Congress. Former Minister for Food and Civil Supplies
Krishna Byre Gowda: Four-time MLA from Byatarayanapura. Considered to be one of the young urban faces of Congress. Former Minister for Agriculture, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Law and Parliamentary Affairs.
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