Congress candidate in Bangalore South, Nandan Nilekani thinks like an MP already

By: KR Balasubramanyam
BANGALORE: One would have thought the highprofile Congress candidate in Bangalore South, Nandan Nilekani, would have gone hiding to catch up on the lost sleep, and good food soon after Thursday’s polls. But when ET visited his house in upscale Koramangala area in Bangalore on Friday, the 58-year old Congress politician was into some serious business: he was thinking about the constituency management system (CMS) – a technology platform he plans to use as MP. “I am preparing for my term. I want to start putting an agenda now. I want to hit the ground running,” said the Congress candidate, talking to ET in a relaxed mood. “I have started designing the constituency management system.
I want to list the priorities that I have promised,” he said, dismissing any hints of a Plan B in life. “What plan B? I am going to win,” he said in a tone of confidence and, explained why he thought so: “The advantage I had was I had a very weak candidate from the BJP in Bangalore South,” he said, referring to his rival and BJP heavyweight Ananth Kumar. “A gentleman elected five times still had to hide behind the Chief Minister of some other state (Narendra Modi). We believe it is his performance-free record that will help me.”

The Infosys co-founder, who declared assets worth Rs 7700 crore ahead of the polls, had started connecting with Bangaloreans much before he formally joined the Congress party on March 9. In a strategic move, he released ads, mostly in Kannada newspapers, asking people to share their ideas for Bangalore. “I have received a lot of ideas from people. I have to put them together now,” he said. As part of the campaigning, he met employees from several organised sectors like garment workers, Bangalore city transport corporation, municipal workers etc.

In one meeting with garment workers at Bommanahalli on the City outskirts, he promised to get back to them in three months to discuss their issues. “It (garment) is a huge industry. So I have to put up a plan on infrastructure, water and safety.” Similarly, he met drivers and conductors of the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, auto drivers, the pourakarmikas, horticulture marketing cooperative employees etc. “I have met a lot of groups. Right now, I am making a list of all the priorities I have promised.”

The technology platform that he is designing to handle the constituency issues will release a tracker number to help people for every suggestion or complaint received. “Every voter can reach me. The tracking number will help us take everything to a closure. I will work on this for the next one month,” Nilekani said.