Bengaluru: As a little girl, J.N. Savitha’s early memories of elections was of her sitting in an auto and shouting slogans for the current Union Minister H.N. Ananthkumar, while he was in race to become an MP. Her tryst with electioneering continued, though when she grew up she decided to don the ‘khaki’ instead of ‘khadi’.
Today, Savitha, a former lady constable and PRO (DCP) has been nominated by the BJP to fight the BBMP elections. She has bagged a ticket to contest from Srinagara. Sharing why she chose politics over police, she said, “Though I was serving people, I couldn’t do much. I only followed the instructions of my higher-ups and did not have the powers to do anything more for people. When I got an opportunity to serve my people, I did not want to let go of it.”
The reservation matrix may have created chaos for even major political parties, but for aspirants like Savitha, it was a blessing in disguise. “Last time, my father C. Mayanna, lost the corporator election by 88 votes. Though he worked hard, he could not win. He may have contested this time too if there was no reservation. However, the 50 per cent reservation helped me take a chance,” she said. Being a PRO has helped her connect with people and problems, she asserted.
“People approached us with all sorts of problems whether criminal or civil and I know how to respond to their problems. Also, since my father was a BJP worker, I have seen people coming to our house every morning to air their grievances. That too has helped me understand how to approach their problems and solve them,” she said. According to Savitha, being a resident of Srinagara will help her win votes as she is familiar to voters. Further, she said that they know that Savitha will quickly respond to their problems. She has prioritized to solve drinking water problems and address overflowing sewage complaints.
Although Savitha has received immense support from her colleagues in the police department, she says she has resigned and would never return to the department. “Such a day will never come when I may have to go to the department as I am sure I will win the elections,” she signs off.
260 file papers
As many as 260 candidates, including 117 independents, filed their nomination papers on Saturday. While 44 candidates from the Congress submitted the papers, 35 from the JD(S), 18 from the BJP and three from Lokasatta too filed their nominations. Apart from this, members from RPI and SDPI too filed their papers. Though the last day to file nominations is August 10, candidates will not be able to file nomination papers on August 9 as it is a Sunday.
Polling stations being shifted: BJP
BJP has filed a complaint with the State Election Commission office, stating that polling stations were being illegally shifted in many wards. SEC Secretary Honnamba told Deccan Chronicle that the commission was aware of the developments. “On receiving such complaints in the past, we enquired and found that existing polling stations were being shifted from buildings which are under renovation or are demolished. The BBMP had already brought the matter to our notice and we are further enquiring,”
she said.
AAP refuses to support JD(S)
A day after JD(S) party supremo H.D. Deve Gowda wrote to AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking the party’s support for the BBMP elections, the state unit of AAP confirmed that the party will not join hands with any other entity. On Saturday, State Convener Siddharth Sharma said that Mr Kejriwal directed AAP, Karnataka, to not support any political parties in the upcoming polls.
Volunteers protest from manholes
Angry with the BDA for not closing open manholes despite many complaints, AAP volunteers stepped inside manholes and protested in Vijayanagar on Saturday. The volunteers said that there are more than 15 open manholes which were posing a threat to vehicle users and pedestrians, but the BDA had not responded to any of AAP’s complaints. Basavanth, AAP volunteer, said, “We were told that though BBMP or BWSSB should maintain manholes, the manholes near Vijayanagar Toll Gate were not handed over to other agencies. The BDA is not even responding to our complaints nor is it handing over the maintenance works to other agencies.”
