Under the scorching sun in the forenoon, Congress leader Sowmya Reddy is visiting residential buildings in Ejipura to meet voters during the first leg of her day long campaign. Bengaluru South is one of the biggest constituencies in Karnataka and in what has been touted as the “revenge election,” Ms. Reddy is battling against BJP’s Tejasvi Surya for this seat. While in transit to the next leg of her campaign, she talked to The Hindu about her connect with the constituents, sexism in politics, and her life in Bengaluru, among other things.
You have been campaigning for quite a few days now. What is the pulse on the ground?
I’ve been on the ground for more than a month. But I have also worked here as an MLA. I was born and brought up here and studied here. So, I know the nook and corner of the constituency. Most of my friends and family are here. So, I know all the issues, but one of the things people have been saying is that in the past 10 years, the BJP government had promised many things, and that they were genuinely hopeful. But they have been massively let down.
What major issues have you identified in Bengaluru South constituency?
There are so many issues in Namma Bengaluru. We have seen how the city has changed in the past 20 years after the IT boom. There is no proper infrastructure, and we are battling water crisis. We unfortunately also have a traffic problem. Look at the metro; for the first time in history, there is a station but no train because of bad policy making. The Prime Minister himself promised suburban rail, but we have not seen even a metre of it. All these problems on the ground can only be solved if we get the funds we deserve (from the Centre).
As one of the very few women candidates in the fray, how do you tackle sexism in politics?
Unfortunately, we live in a patriarchal world and politics, especially, is dominated by men. Just look at the Assembly; there is just about 4% of women and 12% in Lok Sabha. At the end of the day, we are as committed as men. As an elected representative, I have faced sexism, misogyny, ageism, and body shaming, but that is from just about 10% of people. From the rest, it has been overwhelming support, love, and blessings.
BJP has had this seat since 1991 and it has been called an impenetrable fortress. Do you think it will change this time?
Yes, definitely. People are knowledgeable and smart, and they see who does work and who does not. They have given the sitting MP a chance, and he has not been accessible and has just been spreading hate and claiming false achievements. Previously, for many years the constituency was with Ananth Kumar who was in touch with the constituents and worked beyond party lines. That was the only reason the BJP had the constituency for so many years.
From Chickpet to cosmopolitan Bommanahalli, how do you adjust your campaign strategies? How is your connect with Resident Welfare Associations?
We use technology to reach out to some of them with organisations like the Bangalore Apartment Federation. In apartments, the issues are more about solid waste management, khatha, and water. We also have the Brand Bengaluru campaign addressing many issues. Whether it is a person in a slum or in an apartment, we have been reaching out to everybody figuring out what their problems are, listening to them genuinely, and providing solutions and we plan to that do that in the future as well as MPs.
