Karnataka Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka on Thursday, 30 July warned that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will launch the 'Chalo Hola Gadde' (towards the lands and farms) agitation from 3 August if the state government does not immediately declare a drought across Karnataka. Ashoka made the announcement after visiting Karekal village in Ballari and personally inspecting crop damage in the region.

Ground Reality in Ballari

Ashoka painted a grim picture of agrarian distress in Ballari district, stating that only 18 per cent of sowing had taken place even as 50 days of the sowing season had already elapsed. Taluk-wise data cited by him showed stark disparities: sowing stood at 14.56 per cent in Ballari taluk, 5.32 per cent in Kurugodu, 52.79 per cent in Siruguppa, 67.33 per cent in Sandur, and 34.91 per cent in Kampli — with an overall district average of 38 per cent. Even crops that had been sown — including maize and cotton — had failed to produce seedlings.

'Not even a small seedling has sprouted anywhere,' Ashoka told reporters. 'If drought is not declared immediately, all of us will sit in farmers' fields and stage a dharna.'

Congress Government Under Fire

Ashoka alleged that Congress legislators from Ballari were staying in five-star hotels while farmers in the district were unable to sow. He directly criticised Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, claiming that fields, the treasury, and reservoirs had all been depleted under his tenure, and that no minister had stepped forward to address agriculture, horticulture, or animal husbandry concerns.

He also alleged that the state government had bypassed the mandatory process for drought relief — which requires a field study, a formal report, and submission to the Centre before joint relief is disbursed — and had instead sent a ₹10,000 crore demand to the Central government without first declaring a drought. 'Only if drought is declared will insurance companies come forward,' he said.

Tungabhadra Reservoir Row

Ashoka raised the issue of the Tungabhadra reservoir, which currently holds 36 TMC of water — yet none has been released for crops. He contrasted this with the BJP tenure, when water was reportedly released even when the reservoir held only 26 TMC. In response, he announced that BJP leaders would undertake a padayatra from the Anjaneya temple to the reservoir.

Ashoka also flagged environmental concerns: dust settling on plants in farmers' fields and water pollution in Veerapur lake. He said he would raise both issues in the upcoming Assembly session.

Demands and Compensation

The opposition leader put forward a detailed set of demands: ₹50 crore per taluk in relief, arrangements for drinking water and fodder, and ₹50,000 per acre compensation for affected farmers. He noted that farmers had already spent ₹30,000–40,000 per acre and ₹3,000 per kg of seed. He also called for immediate implementation of loan waivers of up to ₹1 lakh per farmer, claiming the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi had provided more relief under SDRF and NDRF than the previous UPA government.

Stalin Visit and Cauvery Politics

Ashoka also took aim at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin's recent visit to Karnataka, alleging it was motivated by opposition to the Mekedatu project and a push against the release of Cauvery water. He dismissed the visit as 'only for publicity.'

With the 'Chalo Hola Gadde' protest set for 3 August, all eyes are now on whether the Karnataka government will respond to the drought demand before the BJP takes its agitation to the fields.