Mayawati, Didi walk to beat Bengaluru traffic

BENGALURU: The city’s infamous traffic jams literally halted Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati in her tracks, but she hit the road with gusto and walked for nearly half a kilometre to make it in time for HD Kumaraswamy’s swearing-in ceremony in front of Vidhana Sabha late Wednesday afternoon.

The convoy of the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, who was on her way to Vidhana Sabha from Shangri La on Palace Road, had to stop after it ran into a huge traffic jam at Chalukya Hotel, Basaveshwara Circle, said traffic police.

As police and her security personnel were wondering what to do, Mayawati promptly hit the D Devaraj Urs Road that links Basaveshwara Circle and Vidhana Soudha. Mayawati briskly walked up till Vidhana Sabha.

The BSP chief was among several leaders who were stuck in the traffic during the rain-marred afternoon. Fromer PM HD Deve Gowda, former UP CM Akilesh Yadav and NCP leader Sharad Pawar’s convoys were stuck in the traffic at various places in the city, confirmed traffic police. Despite police escorts, these vehicles were seen moving at snail’s pace on Infantry Road and Ambedkar Road.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee too walked for a couple of hundred metres after her convoy had to stop on Devaraj Urs Road. The convoys of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were stuck near Anil Kumble Circle. “Gandhis left Hilton Hotel on Old Airport Road and reached MG Road in less than 15 minutes. But they took more than 15 minutes to reach the Vidhana Sabha gate,” said traffic police officers.

There was a huge pile-up on Raj Bhavan Road, Palace Road, Race Course Road, KR Circle, Kasturba Road, Vittal Mallya Road, Richmond Circle and JC Road. BMTC buses heading out of Shivajinagar bus terminal were also stranded in the traffic.

Around 3.30 pm, a huge tree on Vittal Mallya Road fell, bringing the traffic to a standstill. Officials from fire and emergency services cleared the tree and the traffic started moving by around 4 pm.