Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Saturday, 16 May launched a pointed counter-attack against Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, alleging that it was Kumaraswamy's own family — not Shivakumar — that had accumulated substantial wealth through real estate dealings, particularly in areas linked to the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project in Bengaluru. The remarks came in direct response to allegations levelled by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda over the proposed Bidadi Township project.

What Shivakumar Alleged

Speaking to reporters at the National Public School in Horamavu, Bengaluru, Shivakumar charged that Kumaraswamy's brother had properties registered under duress in the PRR corridor. 'Kumaraswamy's family has acquired wealth through real estate. His brother got properties registered by intimidating people in the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) area,' Shivakumar said.

He specifically named the Dodda Gubbi and Chikka Gubbi localities, claiming that properties were registered at values of ₹7 lakh, ₹8 lakh, and ₹10 lakh, and that those same parcels are now worth ₹25 crore, ₹30 crore, and even ₹50 crore. 'Ask people in Dodda Gubbi and Chikka Gubbi areas. They will tell you how people were intimidated,' he said.

The Bidadi Township Flashpoint

The spat centres on the Bidadi Township project on the outskirts of Bengaluru. Deve Gowda had alleged that Shivakumar was using the project to advance personal business interests, and — without naming him directly — claimed Shivakumar owns 20,000 acres in the region. Shivakumar turned the allegation back sharply, noting that it was Kumaraswamy himself who had issued the original notification for the Bidadi project. 'Didn't he say yesterday that the Bidadi township project should not be implemented? Who started that project? It was he himself who issued the notification,' Shivakumar said.

Khata Conversion Fee and Political Jabs

Shivakumar also responded to Kumaraswamy's advice to citizens to avoid paying the two per cent fee for khata conversion, with Kumaraswamy reportedly suggesting that a Janata Dal (Secular)–BJP government would soon return to power and waive the charge. Shivakumar dismissed this as political fantasy. 'Kumaraswamy keeps daydreaming. His government will not come to power. The Congress government is in office and is carrying out pro-people work,' he said.

He further challenged Kumaraswamy to address the hike in petrol, diesel, and cooking gas prices — issues, Shivakumar argued, that the Union Minister had once commented on but now avoids. 'Other than criticising others and issuing statements against them, he has no other work,' Shivakumar said.

Governance Record and Deve Gowda Retort

Shivakumar used the occasion to highlight what he described as his own administrative record: providing drinking water, correcting property records, and creating five new corporations for improved governance in Bengaluru city. He claimed that even BJP leaders had appreciated his work and that he was actively seeking their suggestions on municipal reforms.

On Deve Gowda's remark that Shivakumar was 'dreaming of a transfer of power on his birthday', the Deputy Chief Minister offered a cryptic rebuttal: 'Let him first remember what his son did regarding the transfer of power. After that, he can speak about other matters.' The comment is widely seen as a reference to the political circumstances under which Kumaraswamy had previously assumed and ceded the Chief Ministership of Karnataka.

What This Signals

This is the latest episode in a long-running rivalry between the Indian National Congress (INC)-led Karnataka government and the Janata Dal (Secular)–BJP alliance at the Centre. With Bengaluru's real estate and infrastructure projects increasingly drawn into political crossfire, the Bidadi Township and PRR corridor disputes are set to remain contested terrain in the run-up to future electoral cycles.