Encroachment of public land and lakes, and trustworthiness were the common issues that the electorate in the three Lok Sabha constituencies in Bangalore are most concerned about, according to a survey conducted by Daksh-ADR on voter priorities and expectations from MPs.
The other important issues raised by voters in Bangalore North constituency were better roads, schools and solid waste management. The priorities in Bangalore Central were drinking water, reservation in jobs and better roads. In Bangalore South, apart from trustworthiness, people were concerned about law and order and the country’s defence capabilities.
The findings of the survey were shared by the Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC). Speaking to reporters last Friday, Daksh co-founder Harish Narsappa said that around 1,000 people were interviewed randomly in Bangalore North, Bangalore South and Bangalore Central constituencies.
B.PAC also shared a survey conducted by Citizen Matters on utilisation of MPLAD (MP Local Area Development) funds. Meera K. from Citizen Matters said the three Bangalore MPs spent around Rs. 19 crore during their five-year term. The money was mostly used for road projects, civic amenities such as community halls, drilling bore wells and improving school buildings. She said that education and health have not got much from the three MPs. While Bangalore North MP D.B. Chandre Gowda had spent Rs. 15 crore, Bangalore South MP H.N. Ananth Kumar had spent Rs. 17.75 crore, and Bangalore Central MP P.C. Mohan had spent only Rs. 7 crore.
With regard to attendance and participation in the goings-on in the Lok Sabha, Ms. Meera said that Mr. Chandre Gowda fared better than Mr. Ananth Kumar and Mr. Mohan. Mr. Chandre Gowda had asked nearly 700 questions of which 73 per cent were relevant to Karnataka and 53 per cent impacted his constituency. Mr. Ananth Kumar asked around 220 questions and Mr. Mohan 245 questions.
B.PAC president Kiran Mazumdar Shaw told reporters that B.PAC would share comprehensive score cards for candidates fielded by the BJP, Congress, JD(S) and AAP in the three constituencies around 10 days before the elections. The score cards will measure key performance indicators, including public perception of reliability, trustworthiness, track record of public service, ability to drive change, vision for development and issues that they will raise in the Parliament. “We hope this will enable citizens to make an informed choice during the polls,” she added.
