Suresh on shaky ground in Rajajinagar this time

Maqsood Maniyar | NT

Bengaluru: BJP MLA from Rajajinagar S Suresh Kumar could be staring at defeat in the face come May 13 as Congress challenger Puttanna appears to be taking advantage of the lawmaker gathering anti-incumbency in his five terms representing the segment.

Puttanna, who had been a BJP MLC, had joined Congress in the second week of March, was the favourite to land the Congress ticket for Rajajinagar even before he joined the party. Congress had faced a problem of plenty as party worker Bhavya Narasimhamurthy and six others had been aspirants for the seat.

However, the party claims that they have sorted out differences within their ranks and are putting up a united front against Suresh. This includes Congresswomen Manjula Naidu, who had lost to Suresh in 2013 and G Padmavati who had finished second in the 2018 Assembly polls. “It’s not just an opportunity to win. Puttanna will definitely win this time around,” Naidu said.

Puttanna bullish

Puttanna also seemed very optimistic with his chances in the constituency. “I definitely stand a good chance here because voters have concluded that he (Suresh) hasn’t done any development here. They see nearby constituencies and feel they’ve been hard done by. Localities like Malleshwaram and Mahalakshmi Layout have been developed. Unlike here, Karnataka public schools have come up there. There are a lot of issues here. People are saying we’ll vote for you if our water needs are met,” he said, adding that nearby constituencies will be negatively affected as well.

“A pro-Congress wind is blowing in the state,” he added. The Congressman pointed out that Suresh had been the education minister while being the local MLA but couldn’t establish a Karnataka public school or a government hospital in the constituency despite having more than two decades to do so.

Puttanna defended his exit from the BJP, claiming that he felt “suffocated” with their “brokerage system” and commissions, adding that their own party workers don’t even get concession in said bribes and were asked to pay even more. “If I wanted power, I would have stayed there (in BJP) as an MLC,” he said.

BJP supporters like Basaveshwara Nagar native Vasant Kumar said had the saffron party fielded a “competent” candidate, they would have voted for him “200 per cent” but couldn’t back Suresh, who had 24 years under his belt. “This time we want a change,” he said. Venkatesh from Rajajinagar fourth block said that the constituency lacked infrastructure and that Cauvery drinking water was infrequent.

“You tell me, does it take 25 years to develop a constituency?” he asked. Sangamesh Gowda, who represents a construction workers union and lives in Shivanahalli said Puttanna had “good qualities” and hoped he would provide housing for workers from his sector. Even people who had their heart set on voting for BJP, such SS Hiremath, conceded Suresh hadn’t worked well this current term.