Pulakeshinagar is one of the six reserved constituencies in Bengaluru district where the contest is expected to be between Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) candidates. It is the constituency where Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has a minimum presence. BJP candidate K Palani Velu got only 4,589 votes (4.57 per cent) as against JD(S) candidate Akhanda Srinivas Murthy who got 48,995 votes (48.75 per cent) while Congress candidate Prasanna Kumar got 38.6 per cent of votes (38,796) from Pulakeshinagar Assembly segment in 2013 elections.

There are 1,96,443 voters in this reserved constituency and among them, as usual like any other assembly constituency in Bengaluru, men voters are in majority at 99,979 as against 96,439 female voters. This constituency has 25 other voters.

As far as popularity of the political leaders in Pulakeshinagar is concerned, the present incumbent Akhanda Srinivas Murthy is in the forefront. Let it be the launching of public welfare programmes such as arranging pension for senior citizens and widows, providing ration cards to the needy people, Akhanda Srinivasamurthy seems to be proactive and is easily accessible to the voters when they need him.

“Srinivas Murthy is not only a mass leader but also a philanthropist. He has helped many people in this constituency. I will certainly vote for him in the election next year,’’ says Syed Pasha, a resident of Pottery Town.

Srinivasamurthy, accompanied by Chamarajapet MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan, played a key role in defusing the tension between Army personnel and the residents of Modi Garden when the Army personnel blocked the roads leading to a mosque claiming that land belongs to the Army.

“I appreciate Srinivas Murthy for holding talks with Army officers and helping to defuse the tension. He is a real human being. I will vote for him in the next Assembly election irrespective of whether he contests as a candidate of Congress or JD(S) or even an Independent,’’ said Ahmed Khan.

There are rumours that Srinivas Murthy may not get Congress ticket to contest in the next Assembly elections since Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge wanted Congress to select Prasanna Kumar B from this constituency. Kharge wanted to help Prasanna Kumar, the son of late Basavalingappa who was considered as his close friend.

It is to be seen whether Zameer Ahmed Khan, the leader of JD(S) dissident legislators, will help Srinivas Murthy to contest as a Congress candidate. It may be recalled that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that JD(S) dissident legislators, including Srinivas Murthy, would join Congress in December and all of them would get Congress tickets in the next Assembly election.

Prasanna Kumar got elected as a Congress candidate in 2008 by defeating his nearest rival JD(S) candidate R. Srinivasa Murthy by a margin of 17,669 votes in 2008. Kumar got 39,577 votes while Srinivasa Murthy was able to get only 21,908 votes. However, Kumar was defeated by JD(S) candidate Akhanda Srinivas Murthy in 2013 by a margin of 10,199 votes. While Kumar got 38,796 votes, Akhanda Srinivas Murthy polled 48,995 votes.

As far as representation in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is concerned, it is Congress which has a majority of corporators from Pulakeshinagar Assembly constituency. There are seven wards in this constituency. While Congress corporators represent four wards such as Devara Jeevana Halli, Muneeswara Nagar, S.K. Garden and Pulakeshinagar, JD(S) corporators represent only two wards – Kushal Nagar and Kaval Byrasandra while V. Elumalai, an Independent candidate represents Sagayapuram ward. Interestingly, eight candidates including Congress, BJP and JD(S), contested to the BBMP Council from Sagayapuram, one of the backward wards in Bengaluru and none of them passed SSLC except one S.M. Raju, a graduate. While JD(S) candidate Marimuthu was able to pass only 4th standard, Congress candidate Palaniammal V has claimed of passing 9th standard.

As far as the winner in the next Assembly elections is concerned, Akhanda Srinivas Murthy will have no problems to romp home if Congress selects him as its candidate.