"BJP wants to make Bengaluru a livable place"

The suggestion to make the city a second capital has come too late, says BJP leader and Bengaluru MLA Suresh Kumar, who is confident his party will get over 20 of the 28 assembly seats in the metropolis. Edited excerpts from an interview:



What did you make of the suggestion to make Bengaluru the second capital? Is that something the BJP would consider if it came to power?
RV Deshpande is a very senior leader. This thought should have come to him in the beginning itself.


This should not become one more slogan for the people. We have been urging for a second Supreme Court bench in south India, preferably in Bengaluru, for years, and we made sincere efforts when we were in power. Maybe Deshpande is competing with the chief minister and others to establish his presence.

Ultimately, we should make efforts to make Bengaluru the ideal place to become the second capital, but till now, we have done nothing in that direction. This government, instead of giving practical ideas for this, is coming up with fancy, fantastic ones.

How will the BJP tackle Bengaluru’s problems, if it comes to power?
We are holding brainstorming sessions in all assembly constituencies, where we have a direct dialogue with people to understand the issues and find possible solutions. We are trying to come up with practical solutions, not grandiose ones, and our manifesto will include this.

What would be the top three issues the BJP will focus on in Bengaluru, if it comes to power?
One would be garbage disposal. The next would be traffic. The third will be infrastructure, whether it is roads, drains or the Bellandur Lake. If our government can make Bellandur Lake a tourist spot, it would be an achievement.

Will the BJP manifesto include initiatives for the city?
We are coming up with a specific manifesto for Bengaluru, which will be released in the first or second week of February. We want to make Bengaluru a livable place, apart from being a happening place.

The Congress has launched a slew of projects for the city. Will that hurt the BJP’s chances?
All of these civil works were started in 2017. Everyone can see an ulterior motive in the projects of the Congress government, such as the steel bridge. Even the recent white-topping of roads is being called a money-spinning exercise, as have the pod taxis. People know these are election-time projects, just as Siddaramaiah is an election-time Hindu (chuckles).

How many seats is the BJP targeting in Bangalore, out of 28?
Our internal assessment is that we will go beyond 20 seats, and we are making all the necessary preparations