Karnataka polls: Cong's urbane outreach at odds with state's civic problems

Earlier, political parties targetted Bengaluru's slums because they had captive vote banks, but turnout pattern in 2013 Assembly polls was perhaps a wake-up call on the emergence of a strong middle cl

“Namme Bengaluru, Namme Hemme” (Our City, Our Pride) was a slogan Karnataka’s Congress government thought up when Chief Minister Siddharamaiah belatedly realised in 2017 that he had to connect with a new generation of urban and “urbane” voters in the state capital. Karnataka may not be as urbanised as neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Kerala but, at the same time, Bengaluru’s political standing and significance cannot be belittled in any election. The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have recognised the reality and are making amends for Bengaluru. 

The BJP will unveil a separate manifesto for the city, as will