Among a horde of other problems, residents of Malleswaram worry about the revival of the Sankey tank flyover project.
From worrying about bad footpaths to the Sankey tank flyover project, Malleswaram residents have their hands full with problems in the neighbourhood. Residents of Malleswaram fear the government will continue with the Sankey flyover project after the Karnataka elections on May 10.
However, the constituency has been electing the BJP MLA Dr. Ashwath Narayan C.N for last three assembly elections. Naveena Sridhar, president of Malleswaram Resident’s Welfare Association said, “We are against the project from the start. An Indian Institute of Science (IISc) study was conducted and the professor also found that the project will not help ease the traffic.”
| Year | Winner | Voters polled | Vote share | Runner Up | Voters polled | Vote Share | Third-place | Voters polled | Vote share |
| 2018 | Dr. Ashwath Narayan C.N. BJP | 83,130 | 67.00% | Kengal ShreepadharenuINC | 29,130 | 24.00% | Madhusudhan NJD-(S) | 7,884 | 6% |
| 2013 | Dr. Ashwath Narayan C.N. BJP | 57,609 | 53.19% | B.K ShivaramINC | 36,543 | 33.74% | Dr. Meenakshi BharathLSP | 7610 | 7.03% |
| 2008 | Dr. Ashwath Narayan C.N. BJP | 53,794 | 52.13% | M.R. SeetharamINC | 45,611 | 44.2% | M.ShankarannaJD-(S) | 2,291 | 2.22% |
She said that people going from Cauvery theatre to Mekhri Circle can easily take a left to Yeshwantpur to avoid traffic jams. “Our protest against the flyover gained traction and the project was halted, but we think they will start it again after elections.” She added that not much can be done about it because the court has ruled in favor of broadening the road.
Personal Assistant to the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Hanumesh said, “The Sankey flyover project is an issue that will be dealt with after elections.”
Residents of Bengaluru had gathered to oppose the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagarika Palike (BBMP) plans of extending the Sankey Tank Bund road to construct a flyover from T Chowdaiah to 18th Cross. Post the protests, despite arresting 70 members of the protesting party, the BBMP had dropped the plan.
Other problems that plague the people of Malleswaram are uneven footpaths and lack of parking facilities. People have come up with a solution for the same – parking on roads.
Ramachandran is a 93-year-old resident of Malleswaram who remembers how he used to cycle in the streets when he was young. He said, “Now things have changed and the traffic is very high. As a result, pollution is too.” He still likes to go on walks but the uneven footpaths that he sees, many of them encroached upon by street vendors, discourage him.
He recalls a recent incident when someone had parked their car opposite his house’s gate and blocked the way out. He had to wait until the car owner returned and drove away.
The citizens are also asking for Hop-on, Hop-off buses because of a poor last-mile connectivity in the constituency. “Auto rickshaws in the area charge exorbitantly because the distances that people have to travel are not walkable, but you cannot hire a car, either,” said Sridhar. Residents also want cycle lanes to be constructed in the constituency as they want movement without hurting the environment.
PA Hanumesh said, “Anyone can send us letters about ideas for improvement. That would be really helpful for the development of the constituency. We will do the needful.”
