Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Radha Mohan Das Agrawal on Wednesday, 10 June alleged that Karnataka was experiencing 'economic exploitation' under the Congress government, declaring that Bengaluru had become a 'centre of corruption' rather than the technology and investment hub it aspires to be.

Agrawal made the remarks while addressing a meeting of Shakti Kendra leaders of the Byatarayanapura Assembly constituency, held near Jakkur Aerodrome in Bengaluru, as part of the party's organisational outreach ahead of the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections.

Allegations Against Congress Leadership

Agrawal directly accused three senior Congress figures — Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy, and Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda — of what he described as economic coercion and misgovernance. He argued that the state capital had seen no meaningful development under the current dispensation.

'There is no development taking place in Bengaluru, nor is there any plan to provide basic infrastructure. This is not Brand Bengaluru, but Bad Bengaluru,' Agrawal said, in a pointed rebuttal of the Congress government's city-branding narrative.

Call to Strengthen the Organisation

The meeting was framed as a mobilisation exercise for the Byatarayanapura seat. Agrawal urged party workers to intensify grassroots efforts with a clear electoral target. 'All our Shakti Kendra leaders must work harder to strengthen the organisation and resolve to ensure BJP's victory in Byatarayanapura in 2028,' he said.

BJP Karnataka co-in-charge Sudhakar Reddy echoed the charge of pervasive corruption, asserting that voters would hold the Congress government accountable. He also invoked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance record as a contrast, expressing confidence that the BJP would return to power in Karnataka by 2028.

Ground-Level Outreach and Planned Agitation

BJP State Secretary H.C. Tammesh Gowda said party workers were already conducting door-to-door outreach across the constituency. He expressed readiness for the upcoming Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) elections in addition to any Assembly polls. Gowda also announced that the party would launch a major agitation targeting legislators who had, in the BJP's assessment, failed to deliver development, and would formally initiate the 'Byatarayanapura Janajagruti Abhiyana' — a public awareness campaign — in the constituency.

Senior party figures present included Bengaluru North District BJP President S. Harish, Mandal President Krishnamurthy, BLA-1 Madhusudan, and BJP Yuva Morcha State Secretary Deepak Kumar.

Broader Political Context

The BJP's aggressive posture in Byatarayanapura is part of a wider strategy to reclaim urban constituencies in Karnataka that the party lost in the 2023 Assembly elections, when Congress swept to power with a decisive majority. Bengaluru's governance challenges — ranging from infrastructure deficits to civic service delivery — have become a recurring flashpoint in state politics, and the BJP appears intent on converting citizen frustration into electoral capital well before the 2028 cycle begins.