Bangalore: Candidates from the four major parties for the Bangalore Central constituency got an opportunity to unveil their plans, if elected in the April 17 elections to the Lok Sabha.
P C Mohan (BJP), Rizwan Arshad (Congress), Nandini Alva (JD-S) and V Balakrishnan (AAP) spoke on issues pertaining to the constituency as well as the overall development of the City. They also got a chance to put forward their vision for the future of the City. The Bangalore Political Action Committee (B-PAC) had organised the interaction programme.
Asked what issues they will take up if elected, all of them had almost similar answers. Arshad said that as the constituency is one of the most important parts of Bangalore, it needs double the funds that it is now getting for development. Balakrishnan said he would make sure that the State gets adequate funds from the Centre under JnNURM and it is effectively used. He said, if elected, he will push for police and judicial reforms as these are the need of the hour, besides providing Bangaloreans clean and honest governance.
Mohan agreed that more funds were needed for the City’s slums. Alva called for a comprehensive redesign plan for the City.
She said that in the constituency, 60 per cent of women voters are not financially independent. She called for efforts towards cooperative banking and housing for women. If elected, she will get the BBMP-run schools adopted, to improve their standards, Alva promised.
B-PAC president Kiran Mazumdar Shaw got the candidates to take the pledge that they would never disrupt parliament, if elected and would set an example as MP. There was an argument between Mohan and Arshad over the former’s attendance in the LS sessions.
Arshad said that out of the average 36 debates in which a MP participates, Mohan had attended only five. Before the argument could take a serious turn, B-PAC members pacified the two and stopped them from making comments against each other.
Sunday’s event is the second in the series of three debates planned by B-PAC, to provide a platform for candidates. A few days ago, the interaction with candidates for Bangalore South was marred by disruptions. That with candidates for Bangalore Central was comparatively a smooth affair.
