Bangalore: People developed fatigue with 5-time MP Ananth Kumar, says Nilekani

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Mar 14: Plunging into electioneering in full swing after resigning his post as Chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India (UDAI), Congress party’s Bangalore South candidate Nandan Nilekani on Friday claimed that the people of the city have developed fatigue with five-time BJP MP, H N Ananth Kumar, and said time is ripe to change the candidate for improving the city’s governance and infrastructure.

Speaking at the Meet the Press programme organised by the Press Club of Bangalore, the Infosys Co-founder asserted: "I am fully confident that I will be an ambassador for Bangalore. I will work with all the city MLAs, Chief Minister and Congress President to make sure that Bangalore gets the best deal.”

Stating that he is experienced in public sector, private sector and in urban governance, Nilekani said he has gained some political experience too while working for Aadhar as he had a task of convincing Chief Ministers from various political parties to implement the scheme.

"I know every detail of how a city functions so the fact that I have diverse experience… I am a clean and local candidate,” he said declaring that: People should vote for me and am confident that they will."

''Bangaloreans have developed fatigue with their incumbent 'absentee MP,’ he said adding that: ''Time has come to vote for change.”

When asked about Ananth Kumar's comment that this election in Bangalore South was a Modi versus Rahul election, the Congress candidate said: ''It is unfortunate that someone who is a five time MP has to turn to Modi to convince voters to choose him again. I think this says a lot about his achievements, or the lack of them.”

''All these years in Bangalore as MP and even serving as Union Minister in the Vajpayee government and he does not have a significant achievement that he can speak of,” he said pointing out that he was confident that people will back him.

"I was chairman of Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF), where I got an opportunity to go into nitty-gritty of local governance,” Nilekani said.

The Congress candidate, who graduated from IIT, Mumbai, said he has no personal agenda or furthering the cause of his family members.

''I would continue in politics ever after the elections.  Politics offers great scope for leverage and bring about change. The city needs dynamic, clean and committed MP," he said.

Nilekani, who spent three decades in Infosys, said India needed leaders of problem solvers and not agitators such as Aam Aadmy Party members.

"My job is not to provide sound bites to TV channels on daily developments every two minutes,” he said in an apparent dig at his BJP rival, who has been constantly on TV.

Nilekani said: ''I am deeply grateful for this chance to be the Congress candidate from Bangalore South and be part of the great democratic process. I am delighted that I have got the chance to contest from this constituency I was born in and where I have spent most of my life.”

He said the people Bangalore were eager for change and tired of misgovernance and unmet promises given by the current MP. ''Whenever I go, the people I meet speak about price rise, lack of better educational facilities and job opportunities as well poor maintenance of city’s roads and infrastructure,” he said.

''The people are concerned about quality of life issues such as the roads we use every day, the cleanliness of our streets, and uncovered drains.  In short, they worry about the Bangalore of today and the Bangalore of tomorrow. I want all of us to have the chances for success that I had – to get a good education and a good job, so they can provide for their family. Each of us should have the guarantee: that if you work hard, you will succeed,” he declared.

The country needed reform-minded people to bring better governance and boost the economic growth, he said adding: ''India requires a liberal and inclusive policy for generating jobs.”

"If we do not meet aspirations of the youth who constitute more than 50 per cent of the population, the country will experience backlash. We also need to take care of the interests of the poor and marginalized and ensure safety and protection to women and other downtrodden sections of society,” he added.