Here are the smartvote candidate interviews of prominent candidates from Bangalore South constituency. Praja members Jenny and Murali were part of the team that did the interviews.
Krishna Byregowda - I N C
Krishna Byre Gowda, INC, Bangalore South. Masters in International Relations, 5 years of experience in sericulture, development and the voluntary sector. A three time MLA (sitting MLA for Byatarayanpura), has participated in agitations against recent attacks on Churches and saffronization of education. Age: 35 years; Assets: Rs. 1.3 Crores; Criminal Record: None.
Top priorities for your constituency:
How do you plan to address these priorities:
Most important national issues:
Ananth Kumar - B J P
Four terms as an MP. Served as a Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Tourism and Culture, Youth Affairs and Urban Development. Age: 50 years; Assets: Rs. 122.06 Lakhs; Criminal Record: None since 2004
Top issues for your constituency
How would you address these:
Your top national issues:
Prof Radhakrishna - J D(S)
He has both an MA & LLB and is the Principal of Seshadripuram College. Besides being an educationist, and founder and member of various educational foundations, societies and committees and has participated in JP and Navnirman movements during the Emergency. Age: 63 years; assets: Rs 2.25 crores; No Criminal Record.
Top issues for your constituency:
Your most important contribution to public life:
Your biggest failure till date:
Capt. Gopinath - Independent
With an MBA and degrees from the NDA Captain has working life that includes 8 yrs service in the Indian Army, 17 years in Farming & Sericulture, and finally, the last 13 years as an entrepreneur and founder of India’s first low cost airline--Air Deccan (and other transit and transport businesses.) Age: 58 years; Assets: Rs 70 crores plus; Criminal Record: None
What would you do for unemployment issue for youth:
Corruption and Terrorism:
Most significant failure till date:
See more questions and all candidate interviews at Smartvote's Bangalore South page.
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disappointing Anant Kumar
For all his exposure to the world, I find Ananth Kumar (BJP candidate)'s responses most disappointing. His answer's to the infrastructure issues are the conventional 'build more' approach.
In the case of transportion, the talk is all about more METRO, TTMCs, fly-overs, road widening, ring roads, etc. The concept of 'mobility' does not even appear to have crossed his mind. So much so, there's no talk whatsoever of improved public bus transporrt services, curbs on usage of individualised forms of transport, protection of greenery, etc. I wonder what his response would be to http://praja.in/blog/murali772/2007/12/12/better-bussing-green-bangalore
In the case of water, his talk is on Cauvery 5th, 6th, 7th, - - Nth stages; and, in fact, getting all of any of the rivers flowing within a 1000km of Bangalore to flow into the city, in different stages. His approach also includes the interlinking of the 37 odd rivers in the country at a 'nominal' Rs 10 lakh crores. There's no talk whatsoever of better management of the resources, recycling, rain-water harvesting, re-charging of ground water, etc. Wonder if one can get him interested in going through http://bangalore.praja.in/discuss/forums/2009/03/sustainable-water-supply-bangalore
To his credit, it must be admitted, he has said that he would like to see the rivers/ storm-water drains in the city (eg Vrushabhavati), flowing clean like say Thames in London, Sienne in Paris, etc. That's the saving grace, though he does not say how he hopes to achieve all that.
In the case of power again, he has this fantastic idea of setting up a 5000 MW power plant in Bangalore, supposedly in order to save on T&D losses, and to get NTPC to do that. It is indeed tragic that somebody of his stature does not seem to know that technology today has brought down long distance "transmission" losses to very low levels, and the problems are entirely in "distribution", whereby T&D losses have today come to be re-defined as "theft & dacoity" losses. And, again, there's no indication whatsoever of any thinking on demand-side management, conservation, efficiency, etc. Wonder if he could bother with http://praja.in/bangalore/blog/murali772/2008/05/28/imperatives-privatisation-power-distribution.
All in all, the approach is plainly megalomanic. Is it ignorance, or is it the mega kickbacks that we often hear about that is driving this approach? One wonders! Whatever, even considering that BJP-led NDA did some good for the country with Vajpayee at the helm, I find it difficult to want to support Ananth Kumar.
Muralidhar Rao
Out of touch
Is it ignorance, or is it the mega kickbacks
Probably the former. I think he spends too much time in the corridors and less time reading up. We may be better off with KBG or CG, at least they are in touch with the world.
Anant Kumar - Only Promises
He had ended up without even expanding any existing airport, let alone facilitating the construction of a new one for Bangalore.
I wonder why BJP, a development-oriented party, still hanging on to him.