Voter registration woes, limited Parking, and poor infrastructure, is plaguing Bengaluru’s Shivajinagar.
People in Shivajinagar are struggling with their voter ids in addition to other problems like limited parking and poor infrastructure.
Shivajinagar is a busy locality in Bengaluru and is home to several markets, shops, and residential areas.
Local activist, Nasir Hussain said that over 9,000 voters’ names were removed from the electoral rolls in the Shivajinagar constituency in October 2022, causing frustration among citizens. He claims that the removal of names by the government including that of his cousin has resulted in a lack of interest in voting among many people in the area.
Zakir, who is the cousin of Nasir Hussain and whose name was deleted from the voter list, expressed his frustration, saying that despite living in Shivajinagar since 2012, his name was still deleted from the list. He further stated that after complaining, the election commission has asked them to visit their offices to renew their names, but due to his busy work schedule, he has not been able to do so and is unsure if he will be able to vote.
MLA Rizwan Arshad made a request to the Election Commission to establish a separate list for individuals who are absent, have moved, or have passed away. Subsequently, the Election Commission has asked people to visit their office to renew their names.
He also said that they have made a team of volunteers who go door to door and assist people with their voter id issues.
Nasir said that people in Shivajinagar are not interested in leaving their work and going to the Election Commission office to renew their names.
He added, “The other issue is when people apply for voter ID or Aadhar card, the government is supposed to send it within 15-30 days.” He added that many people in Shivajinagar who applied for voter ID in January 2022 have still not received it.
According to The News Minute report, “More than 7,000 voters are set to be deleted from the electoral roll of Shivajinagar constituency in Bengaluru, as the Karnataka High Court dismissed a writ petition seeking to retain the names.”
Another problem that the residents are facing is the heavy parking problem. The narrow streets and limited parking spaces are causing traffic jams and inconvenience to the locals. Mohammad Rafi, a vegetable shop owner in Russel market of Shivajinagar, expressed his concern over the parking issue, saying that the condition of the market is really bad, and their business is suffering as customers are not willing to enter the market due to parking problems.
MLA Rizwan said he is already in talks with the BBMP to get a Double Parking System (DPS) system built for the area. “I am aware of the parking problem’s gravity, which is why we have added the issue in the party manifesto as well,” he added.
Rafi added that despite requests for renovation work in the market after a fire in 2017, the government has not taken any action. Most of the shop owners had to use their own money to renovate their shops. They have just whitewashed the walls from outside.
Another shop owner, Musthaq Ahmed said, “The area has a total of five markets with inadequate parking space, making it difficult for customers to park their cars or bikes. Moreover, the garbage van only comes once in three days, causing cleanliness issues in the area.”
| Year | Candidate’s Name | Party | Votes | Vote Rate’s | Margin |
| 2019 | Rizwan Arshad | INC | 49,890 | 53.56% | 13,521 |
| 2018 | R Roshan Baig | INC | 59,742 | 55% | 15,040 |
| 2013 | R Roshan Baig | INC | 49,649 | 63% | 20,855 |
| 2008 | R Roshan Baig | INC | 43,013 | 57% | 10,396 |
Azmath Ullabik, a Shivajinagar resident, said that MLA Rizwan Arshad has failed to address issues such as poor road infrastructure, heavy traffic, and inadequate garbage collection services, which have caused difficulties for local citizens. But despite this, many people in the area still support Arshad and the Congress party over the BJP, he added.
Amit, another resident said, “The local citizens have no other option but to stick with Congress because they believe that the BJP could be worse for this Muslim-dominated area.”
Shivajinagar is a busy locality in Bengaluru and is home to several markets, shops, and residential areas.
