Issue 2 | 25 Nov. 2006
A new boss for city BJP

Vijayakumar's Vision for Greater Bangalore

B.N. Vijayakumar, the new president of the city BJP unit spoke to TWB about his vision for the party, as well as for the development of Greater Bangalore, Excerpts: •TWB: Congratulations on your unanimous election as City BJP President. It's been a long time coming, though as you have served as the general secretary for as long as twelve years.

BNV: I am very happy and thankful especially since I was the unanimous choice. The election was held in the presence of our top leaders, viz. Ananthkumar, national general secretary, H.T. Sangliana, MP, Ashok, Health Minister who nominated my name, and all other MLAs and Corporators, while Eshwarappa was the election incharge. Mr Sangliana said that his doors were open to me all the time for any guidance and help. On my part, I will always be an approachable person not only to party workers but also to the people.

•TWB: As President, what will you like to change, and what will you want to retain, in the style of functioning and organizational setup of your party?

BNV: My first priority will be to set up the new team of office bearers and visit every single ward to get a first hand idea of the people's problems, so that we will be able to better redress their grievances. This is especially urgent as the present corporators' term has come to an end on Nov 23. I also plan to arrange regular direct meetings between the people and chiefs of public utility services such as BWSSB, Bescom, BSNL, etc. The main focus will be on making Bangalore a Greater Bangalore, in the real sense.

TWB: According to you, what are the major problems the city BJP is facing?

BNV: At the outset at the corporator level, many of them are not highly educated. Secondly, there is a lack of co-ordination among the different civic agencies. Many a time the BWSSB, Bescom, BDA are at loggerheads with each other. I think we should set up a high-level committee consisting of senior IPS/IAS officers, and a representative body of intellectuals to frame proper strategies for the development of Greater Bangalore. 

•Factionalism and groupism has been an example of Congress culture. But now, your party too suffers from the same. A corporator (Mangala) commits suicide because of a dispute with a MLA of your party. How do you propose to bring in the famed discipline that the BJP was known for in the past?

BNV: I do not believe in dwelling on the past which is over, let bygones be bygones. After all, no one is perfect. It's like filling a full bucket with pure water and adding one drop of poison, the entire water gets adulterated. We will introspect on all issues and carry forward the message of discipline with more vigor in the future.

•Despite having a strong base in Bangalore for several years, the BJP has not been able to do full justice to its potential, especially during elections. For example, in cities like Delhi and Mumbai where the party is equally strong, it has fared much better and is always the number one or two in these cities. However, in B'lore, the BJP is either number two or three, in the assembly elections and municipal elections. Why is this so?

We are working on this and our aim is to be the No. 1 in the next round of elections.

"As a long time citizen of Bangalore, and also as a person with an engineering background, you must be able to suggest a way out of the mess the city's traffic is in. How can we better manage the traffic in the city?

BNV: First and foremost, we should have a parking zones in each and every area. Secondly, we have to ensure that these zones are used only for marking, which is not the case, with the exception of the parking zone at JC Road. What happens is, the vendor obtains licence for parking, and then the land is put to semi-commercial use, like for instance, the Garuda Mall.

As per the old Bangalore layout plan, instead of flyovers, the plan called for widening of all existing roads, and a system of synchronized system of traffic signals with a control room to monitor the traffic. Unwanted flyovers have come up in the city, like for instance the proposed flyover at South End Road. If at all we need one, it should cover a distance of at least 7-8 km, say from South End to RV Road, via Lalbagh West Gate, and onwards to Double Road. Another proposal is try and utilize the storm water drains that are around 16 feet in width and 16 km in length, to commute within inter city limits, by erecting pillar structures. Other countries have done it, so why not we? Here, most of the drains are either poached the slum dwellers or encroached with commercial buildings.

The civic agencies should also have a much better co-ordination than they have today. One day, BSNL officials dig up a road, and the very next day, the BWSSB officials will come and close it, and the next day, Bescom officials come and lay a cable on that very place!

We should also ensure that in old layouts like Jayanagar, Chamarajpet, Basavanagudi and Malleswaram, no further apartments or big shopping malls should be permitted. These areas are already choked up with too much traffic and too many vehicles, so we should not do anything to worsen the situation. Let these apartment blocks and malls come up in the outskirts of the city.

I also strongly feel that only a Bangalorean should be made to head all civic agencies like the BDA, BWSSB, etc for only a localite can understand the problems of Bangalore and relate to the concerns of the ordinary citizen.

"In the past, Bangalore boasted of visionary planners like Laxman Rao, but today people say other cities like Hyderabad and Chennai have overtaken Bangalore when it comes to civic amenities. Do you agree? And why is this so?

BNV: It is true. You can't deny that they have overcome us to a certain extent.

"The traders of Indiranagar are vehemently opposed to the Bangalore Metro Rail project, but your party's representatives, Nirmal Kumar Surana and Sangliana are totally silent on the issue. What is your party's stand on the Metro Rail project and on the Indiranagar dispute?