Tejasvi Surya slams Bengaluru potholes at TCS 10k run; BBMP refutes claim, defends 'Brand Bengaluru'

Credit: @Tejasvi_Surya/X

Bengaluru residents erupted in outrage on social media after Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya publicly criticised the city's deteriorating infrastructure. In an open letter, Surya highlighted the appalling state of roads in the Central Business District (CBD) during the TCS World 10K run held on Sunday.

Netizens took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their frustration through complaints and appeals for quick action. One user, Sudhindra, described the battered roads stretching from PES University to RR Nagar, citing specific problem areas like V Legacy, Global International Management School, and Prestige Bagmane Apartments. He called on the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to expedite the opening of road links between NICE Road and Mysore Road to alleviate traffic congestion.

My open letter to Bengaluru Incharge Minister Sri DK Shivakumar & BBMP Commissioner Sri Tushar Girinath after the #TCS10K :Respected Sirs, It was nice to see both of you at the flag off of the TCS World 10K in Bengaluru this morning. It shows that you value events of this pic.twitter.com/LRclUvLJj9 Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) April 27, 2025

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which has been without an elected council for over three years, is unlikely to get one soon, with the Governor’s assent to the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, 2024. If everything goes according to plan, the BBMP elections may be conducted before the end of 2025.

Commenting on the situation in Whitefield, another user, Vivek Malhotra, said, “Run around Whitefield once—you’ll feel like you’re on a trail run, especially on Borewell Road, which has more potholes than tar and is always being dug up.” Similarly, a user named Ratpk mocked the condition of GEAR School Road, claiming, "After walking on this road for many years, my health has improved to alpha levels. Now I can live on any planet with zero support system."

Another user alleged that top officials were more interested in personal gain than public welfare, accusing them of sidelining basic infrastructure while promoting initiatives like the "Brand Bengaluru" campaign. “Brand Bengaluru campaigns were only for publicity while huge money was being earmarked for high-profile projects like the Silk Board-Hebbal tunnel road,” he said.

Reports of broken roads, dusty streets, and overflowing drains poured in from multiple neighbourhoods, including Gottigere, Bannerghatta Road, Whitefield, and ECC Road. Residents lamented that government officials rarely inspected ground realities, leaving citizens to cope with the consequences.

Responding to the backlash, the BBMP stated that all the roads, which were part of the marathon, were in good condition. In a release, the civic body said that the organisers of the run had also confirmed there were no issues with the roads.

"We had sought a report from the executive engineer of the area and the organisers. Both reports confirmed that the roads were safe and without any problems,” the release said.

The BBMP also stated that one of the participants, Abhishek Paul's record-breaking performance during the event was evidence that the roads were in good condition.

BBMP Chief Engineer B S Prahalad was quoted by TOI as saying that the civic body had earmarked Rs 19,930 crore for road infrastructure improvements in this year's budget. This includes funding for tunnel roads, flyovers, and road concretisation. Additionally, Rs 700 crore has been allocated under the Brand Bengaluru initiative for micro-surfacing minor cracks, with repair work expected to commence shortly.