Where do our MLA stands. Check the pictures BANGALORE: Leadership is all about rising above the average. TOI-B.PAC presents an independent survey by Daksh which has revealed that legislators elected by Bangaloreans hover around the average, indicating a significant gap between the peoples expectations and the lawmakers performance. According to the rankings by citizens, most of the 28 Bangalore MLAs have been average performers in their first year in office, scoring an average of 5.47 on a scale of 10, the highest score being 6.21 and the lowest 3.45. The lawmakers average performance is bad news for a city reeling under a garbage menace, bad roads and corruption in public life. But the silver lining is that 23 MLAs are above the average on issues such as accessibility, garbage, traffic congestion, slum clearance and providing facilities to pedestrians and cyclists. The survey not only reflects the performance of legislators but also of the state government. When there is a proactive state government, there will always be active legislators. Without support from the government, the MLAs cannot push their agenda for their constituencies, says urban expert RK Misra. Based on feedback from around 150 respondents in each of the 28 constituencies, the survey ranked first-time Congress MLA BA Basavaraj from KR Puram, a close associate of chief minister Siddaramaiah, as the top performer. The reason could be that I focus on peoples problems and keep myself available for them, says Basavaraj. The worst-rated MLA, ironically, is also from the Congress: M Krishnappa from Vijayanagar, ranked 28th. The double whammy is that his son, Priya Krishna, representing neighbouring Govindarajnagar, is ranked 26th. I have ensured there is no law-and-order or garbage problem in my constituency. I dont understand why I and my son have been rated so low, laments Krishnappa. Three BJP MLAs - Muniraju (Dasarahalli), former minister S Suresh Kumar (Rajajinagar) and Dr Ashwath Narayan C N (Malleswaram) - figure in the top five. Congressman ST Somashekar (Yeshwantpur) is the other MLA in the league. I periodically hold review meetings of various departments, both wardwise and at the constituency level. I frequently inspect my constituency. I also go to places where works are under way, to ensure quality and timely completion. Many a time I meet the complainants on site. My party units are also very active and help me in establishing a connect with the people, Suresh Kumar says. The survey spikes a popular belief. The JD(S), touted as a farmers party, is ranked best in overall performance among the parties: 5.97, against 5.45 of both the Congress and BJP. This despite none of its MLAs figuring in the top five. Jayanagar MLA BN Vijayakumar (BJP), once seen as a clean and proactive legislator, ranks 27th. The survey gives thumbs down to the five ministers representing Bangalore. Transport minister B Ramalinga Reddy, who is in charge of the city, has secured the lowest score of 3.96 among them. KJ George, whose home department is facing the flak for increasing incidence of attacks on women and outsiders, is rated below average and ranked fourth among the ministers. BJP seniors R Ashoka (Padmanabhnagar) and Arvind Limbavalli (Mahadevapura) have been mediocre performers, ranked 11th and 12th, respectively. Though the survey finds little to link party affiliation and performance, the ruling Congress has a genuine reason to worry as the performance of several of its city legislators has been below par. The party, which regained its stature as a major player in Bangalore in the 2013 assembly elections, seems to have failed to capitalize on the peoples mandate. The survey is a clear reflection of the stark divide between the peoples aspirations and the legislators performance. This is mainly because moneyed people large represent the city constituencies, and most of them are not committed to their job. Many feel they can win elections through their money power and not by performance. The belief that educated urban representatives perform better than their rural counterparts has also been proved hollow, says political analyst Harish Ramaswamy. Pointing out that people tend to believe that all civic issues are to be dealt by MLAs, Misra says: This is totally unfair. Educated people from the lower middle class and middle class are generous while assessing their representatives. But, the educated from upper middle class and rich strata of society are more disenchanted, says Harish Narasappa and Kishore Mandyam of Daksh.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 10:29:20 +0000
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