Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday, 27 June levelled serious allegations against Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, accusing him of systematically pursuing a long-term plan to acquire fertile agricultural land from farmers in Bidadi, near Bengaluru. Kumaraswamy made these charges while addressing aggrieved farmers at Byramangala, after Shivakumar declined an invitation to participate in an open discussion at the same venue.

The Core Allegations

Kumaraswamy alleged that Shivakumar's interest in the lands around Bidadi was not a recent development. He claimed the Chief Minister had for years harboured plans to bring these agricultural holdings under real estate development, allegedly encouraging farmers with the prospect of commanding exorbitant prices once their land fell within the orbit of Bengaluru.

The Union Minister cited remarks he attributed to Shivakumar on 24 October 2023, during a temple event at Sathanur in Kanakapura constituency on the occasion of Vijayadashami. According to Kumaraswamy, the Chief Minister had at that event urged farmers in Kanakapura not to sell their land even if offered double the prevailing price, saying they would eventually become residents of 'Bengaluru district' and their holdings would fetch far higher returns in the future.

A Chain of Administrative Decisions

Kumaraswamy drew a line connecting several official decisions he said pointed to a coordinated plan. He noted that on 22 May 2025, the State Cabinet — then chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah — approved the renaming of Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South, with the Revenue Department issuing a Gazette notification the very next day.

He further stated that on 18 January 2024, acting on a proposal moved by then Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, the State Cabinet approved amendments to the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority Act, enabling the establishment of the Greater Bengaluru Development Authority (GBDA). A final Gazette notification constituting the GBDA was issued on 11 June 2026.

On 12 March 2025, he said, the GBDA issued its first official preliminary notification to initiate land acquisition proceedings covering approximately 7,481 acres across nine villages in Ramanagara and Harohalli taluks. Kumaraswamy alleged these steps were taken in a phased manner and amounted to a systematic misuse of authority to deprive farmers of their lands.

Bidadi Township and the Congress Government

Responding to allegations that the Bidadi township project was originally his own vision, Kumaraswamy maintained that he had formally withdrawn the proposal from the Assembly floor after local residents opposed it. He alleged that the same township plan he shelved in deference to public sentiment was now being revived by the Congress government under Shivakumar.

He also criticised the state's civic priorities, alleging that despite spending ₹1,200 crore on pothole repairs, the government had failed to address basic urban infrastructure issues and was now seeking to rename Ramanagara as Bengaluru South to facilitate further land acquisitions.

Compensation Concerns and Farmer Support

Kumaraswamy alleged a stark disparity in land valuations, claiming that while government land near Eagleton had been valued at ₹12 crore, farmers in the affected areas were being offered only around ₹2 crore in compensation. He assured farmers they need not spend a single rupee on legal battles and pledged to stand firmly by them.

In one of his sharpest remarks directed at the Chief Minister, Kumaraswamy declared that those who threatened to send him to jail would have to 'be born a hundred times over' to accomplish that. He declined Shivakumar's invitation to discuss the matter at Vidhana Soudha, insisting any dialogue must take place directly before the affected farmers. With the GBDA's land acquisition process already initiated, the standoff between the Union Minister and the Chief Minister is set to intensify in the weeks ahead.