Nandan Nilekani, Congress party candidate from Bangalore South parliamentary constituency, as part of his commitment towards better transport solutions for Bangalore met several auto rickshaw drivers and sought their support for his candidature.
Nilekani met auto rickshaw drivers on Sunday afternoon near the BBMP office auto parking stand Jaynagar 1st block in the city.
His wife Rohini and Arundathi Nag, founder of Ranga Shankara and wife of late Shankar Nag, who remains an iconic figure for thousands of auto drivers in Bangalore joined him.
In a passionate speech, Arundathi Nag admitted that it was the very first time she was moved enough to come on a political platform to endorse a candidate.
She felt that this election is critical for the country. “It is the right time for people like me to speak out in support of an honest, capable, committed candidate like Nandan Nilekani,” Arundathi Nag said.
Arundathi Nag encouraged all auto drivers to use their power to reach out to at least 500 more people from their community and spread the message for better politics and a better Bangalore.
“If Shankar had been alive, he too would have supported Nilekani,” she said.
Nandan Nilekani promised the auto rickshaw drivers present that within three months of his winning the elections, he would hold a meeting with their representatives and thereafter would work to resolve their most critical issues.
“A lot of these problems will keep coming up unless we address our transport problems in an integrated way,” Nilekani said.
“Our transport problems aren't neighbourhood-level issues. It is a city-wide issue, and it needs a city-wide solution.”
The meeting was also attended by Congress party leaders K M Nagaraj and the local corporator.