26-year-old dies in accident on poorly-maintained road in Bengaluru; sparks outrage

The tragic death of a 26-year-old woman in an accident on Huskur–Makali Road in Madanayakanahalli, on the northern outskirts of Bengaluru, on Friday (October 24, 2025) has triggered a political storm, with Opposition parties blaming the ruling Congress government for the city’s worsening road conditions.

The victim, identified as Priyanka P., a private firm employee, died after the scooter — on which she was riding pillion — reportedly skidded on a poorly maintained road and she was run over by a speeding truck. She was commuting with her 28-year-old brother to the Madavara Metro Station on Friday (October 24) when the incident occurred.

Although the police have yet to confirm the exact cause of death, Opposition leaders have highlighted the recurring fatalities caused by the city’s deteriorating road infrastructure. They have squarely blamed Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who has often deflected criticism by claiming that “only Bengaluru’s potholes are highlighted,” while other cities have worse road conditions than the IT capital.

The Leader of the Opposition, R. Ashoka, took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticise the government, holding Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar personally responsible for the repeated pothole-related deaths.

“A woman lost her life today near Huskur APMC after her two-wheeler skidded while trying to avoid a pothole. How many more innocent lives must be lost because of your government’s negligence and incompetence, Mr. D.K. Shivakumar?” Mr. Ashoka wrote.

“Do you think wearing T-shirts and sunglasses for photo shoots in Lalbagh and Cubbon Park under the name of City Rounds will fix Bengaluru’s pothole problem?” he questioned, referring to Mr. Shivakumar’s ‘Walk with Bengaluru’initiative. “You have ruined Bengaluru in the name of making it Brand Bengaluru. You should be ashamed,” he added.

The Janata Dal (Secular) also joined the attack, holding the Congress government directly accountable for the recurring pothole-related deaths across the State.

“How many more lives does the Congress need to lose before fixing the potholes? Innocent citizens are dying every day on cratered roads in Bengaluru and across Karnataka. The Congress government is solely responsible for this,” the JD(S) said on its official handle.

In a similar incident in the last week of September, Dhanushree, a 22-year-old college student, died after being run over by a truck when she fell on the road while trying to navigate a stretch riddled with potholes near Budigere Cross.