Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Karnataka President B.Y. Vijayendra on Tuesday, 14 July launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, alleging that the Bidadi Township Project and the proposed second Bengaluru airport in Kanakapura — the Chief Minister's home region — were 'calculated moves' driven by personal real estate interests rather than public development priorities.

The Core Allegation

Vijayendra alleged that Shivakumar owns 'thousands of acres of land' in the Kanakapura and Bidadi regions, and that both the township project and the proposed airport were being advanced to benefit those holdings. 'Along with the Bidadi Township Project, the Chief Minister is planning to establish the second Bengaluru airport in his home region of Kanakapura. Both are calculated moves. People are talking about the Chief Minister owning thousands of acres of land in these regions,' Vijayendra alleged.

The BJP leader made clear that his party was not opposed to urban development as a concept, but drew a firm line at the acquisition of agricultural land without farmer consent. 'Does Karnataka need new townships? Yes, certainly. But they cannot be built by snatching away the lands of farmers,' he said.

FIRs Against Farmers Trigger Outrage

Vijayendra also trained his fire on the government's decision to register First Information Reports (FIRs) against farmers who had protested violently during a land survey for the proposed township. He accused the Shivakumar administration of using police action to intimidate growers rather than address their grievances. 'After filing complaints against farmers, the government is threatening them and forcing them onto the streets. If the Chief Minister is under the illusion that he can snatch away farmers' lands, he must come out of that mindset,' the BJP chief said.

This comes amid sustained unrest among farming communities in the Bidadi belt, who have resisted the land acquisition process for the township project since it was announced shortly after the Congress government assumed office.

Vijayendra Proposes Alternative Airport Site

In a pointed counter-proposal, Vijayendra said he would write to Chief Minister Shivakumar urging the government to locate the second Bengaluru airport between Bengaluru and Tumakuru, rather than at Kanakapura. He argued that such a location would serve the interests of North Karnataka more equitably and reduce what he characterised as the Chief Minister's personal stake in the project. 'If the second airport is established between Bengaluru and Tumakuru, it will benefit North Karnataka as well. Naturally, the Chief Minister's interest in the Bidadi Township Project will diminish,' he added.

The North Karnataka Development Argument

Beyond the specific allegations, Vijayendra used the occasion to press a broader regional equity argument — that the Shivakumar government's developmental focus remained narrowly centred on Bengaluru and its hinterland, to the detriment of the northern districts. 'If he is genuinely concerned about development, he should come out of the illusion that Bengaluru's development is the state's overall development and give equal importance to North Karnataka,' he said.

Notably, the BJP leader's remarks were delivered from Kalaburagi, itself a major city in North Karnataka, lending a deliberate symbolic weight to the regional equity charge. The Shivakumar government had not issued a formal response to the allegations at the time of reporting. With Vijayendra vowing to write to the Chief Minister and farmer protests showing no sign of abating, the Bidadi Township row is set to intensify in the coming weeks.