Bengaluru: Less than half a kilometre from Vidhana Soudha, the seat of Karnataka’s power, the road in front of the former Chalukya Hotel at Basaveshwara Circle on Race Course Road is riddled with potholes. Citizens say the condition of the stretch — one frequently used by ministers and their convoys — makes a mockery of the state govt’s Brand Bengaluru promise.Taking to X, several users voiced their frustration. @NammaBengaluroo wrote: “Yeah passed through it this evening… it is in horrible condition hardly 0.5km from Vidhana Soudha.” Another netizen, @srini876, went a step further, attacking the Congress: “Tihar jailed people – do they understand peoples’ problems? Britishers and Mughals ruling is better than Cong govt for roads in Bangalore…”User @likeitmatters4u offered a sharp one-liner: “Maybe that’s what Brand Bengaluru is all about — ‘Substandard’.” Frequent commuter and Sanskrit professor Ramesh Hangevadi said: “This is not the outskirts of Bengaluru, but Chalukya Circle — the city’s heart. If this is the state of a prime location, what about the inner roads? Is this the Brand Bengaluru that was promised?”Local vendors, too, echoed the anger. Manjunath Lakshmana, a fruit seller near Chalukya Circle, said: “During rains, the roads are horrible and motorists often slip here. Police try to warn as much as they can, but the govt barely does anything. Every day, we see the chief minister and deputy CM’s convoys go through this stretch but nobody does anything. Now with the GBA (Greater Bengaluru Authority), there is so much more confusion to add.“For motorists, the problem is not just inconvenience but safety. Anusha M, a two-wheeler rider, told TOI: “I use this road daily for work. The potholes are so deep that it feels like riding on a mud track. In the evenings, with traffic and poor lighting, it is risky, especially for women riders like me. One sudden brake, and you can fall.”A senior Bengaluru Central Corporation official eplained, “We will address this issue, but due to the formation of GBA, no work orders were being given. However, we are now working and asphalting the roads; this will be done too.”
