South will benefit from Bengaluru as second capital: RV Deshpande

RV Deshpande, Karnataka’s minister for large and medium industries, kicked up a stir recently when he submitted a proposal to the PMO to make Bengaluru the country’s second capital. In an interview, he explains the rationale behind this idea and says the Congress will improve its performance in the city. Edited excerpts:


Did you put forward a proposal to make Bengaluru the second capital with the elections in mind?
I’ve been a legislator for over 30 years. All my life, I have kept development and politics separate. I’m a development-oriented person… every issue should not be related to politics.

How will it benefit Bengaluru if it becomes the second capital?
It is not just Bengaluru, but southern India that will benefit. Whatever infrastructure is required for a capital will have to be there, like Parliament, courts. Some have said Bengaluru should first create infrastructure. I agree there are problems with the city’s infrastructure. The problem is industrialisation has outpaced infrastructure creation. It’s not that successive governments haven’t tried to fix it. The present government under Siddaramaiah has released the highest amount for Bengaluru city.


As you mentioned, the city has many issues, such as traffic and bad roads. How do you plan to resolve that?
We are making efforts but there is more to be done. On roads, we are doing a lot of work but there should be strict monitoring of road quality as well.

What can Bengaluru look forward to in the Congress manifesto?
Bengaluru should get everything a city which has attracted the attention of the world should get. Infrastructure-wise, we have to do a lot but we are trying. Regarding the peripheral road, for example, the land acquisition cost itself was `18,000 crore. Every attempt is being made by the government to see Bengaluru doesn’t lack any infrastructure which is world-class.

Will the Congress improve its performance in Bengaluru in the coming elections?
We will try to get the largest number of seats in Bengaluru, and we will definitely form the government. There is a lot of bickering in the BJP; they have nothing to show for the time they were in power. They are looking to the prime minister to change everything. But the voter in Karnataka is very wise — they know what they should do. With the schemes we have brought in, the development we have done, people will vote the Congress back.