The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is close to forming the new government in Karnataka, faces the challenge of meeting the infrastructure needs of the state, especially its capital, Bangalore.

The majority of the IT industry in Karnataka is concentrated in Bangalore. Bangalore is also referred to as the Silicon Valley of India. The IT industry has been struggling with bad roads, traffic jams, and electricity shortage. The current infrastructure has not been able to cope with the rapid urbanization, caused by the IT boom.

The poor infrastructure has also led to long hours for staff to commute, causing stress. The shifting of the city’s airport from HAL airport to Devanahalli, which is on the outskirts of the city, has added to their woes. Now the IT professionals have to spend more time on the road to reach the airport. International visitors would also face the same problem.

According to the BJP's election manifesto, it will set up an authority that will ensure better connectivity throughout the state and also spend Rs 250 million ($5,861,941) for better connectivity. Karnataka will be classified into three zones—Bellary as Steel Zone, Gulbarga as Cement Zone and Bangalore/Mysore as IT/BT Zones. The party plans to develop Bangalore into a world class city and will focus on its infrastructure.

The BJP has frequently stressed the need for developing the infrastructure in Bangalore. The software and outsourcing industries in the city are hopeful that a single-party government will accelerate the development of the city's strained infrastructure. X

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