BJP Leaders Promise to Scrap Bidadi Township Project If Elected in 2028

On Wednesday, a delegation of senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders visited the villages affected by the proposed Bidadi Integrated Township project in Karnataka. The visit aimed to show solidarity with farmers who are resisting the acquisition of their land for the project. The leaders announced that if the BJP-JD(S) coalition assumes power in the 2028 assembly elections, it will scrap the project.

The delegation included Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok, Leader of Opposition in the Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra, and senior legislators S. Suresh Kumar and C.N. Ashwath Narayan. They met with farmers, heard their grievances, and later addressed the media.

Mr. Ashok asserted that there was no justification for the state government’s "forced" land acquisition. He noted that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has only about one and a half years left in his current term, and argued that the project cannot be implemented in that timeframe. The project, which envisions a large integrated township, has been a longstanding proposal but has faced stiff opposition from local agriculturists.

Contesting the government’s characterisation of the targeted lands as barren, Mr. Ashok highlighted the region’s agricultural productivity. During the visit, the leaders stopped at a primary milk cooperative collection centre, where they were informed that approximately one crore litres of milk are procured annually from the area by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), with payments totaling around ₹1 crore. Additionally, Mr. Ashok said, sericulture in the region generates an estimated ₹35 crore in revenue each year. He emphasised that all the land in Bidadi is fertile and supports the livelihoods of many families.

On the question of compensation for the acquired land, Mr. Ashok drew from his own family’s experience. He said that decades ago, his family received a compensation of ₹65,000 for 65 acres of land acquired in Bengaluru’s Jalahalli, and that amount had long since been spent with no lasting benefit. He argued that such one-time payments are insufficient for farmers to rebuild their lives.

The BJP leaders also leveled political accusations. They charged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with double standards, pointing out that while he recently visited the Andaman-Nicobar Islands to raise concerns about environmental destruction caused by a port project, he has not spoken out against his own party’s decision to acquire farmlands in Bidadi. "He is silent on his own party government’s move," Mr. Ashok remarked.

BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra objected to Chief Minister Shivakumar’s earlier statement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had praised the Bidadi project. Mr. Vijayendra asked the Chief Minister not to drag the Prime Minister’s name into the matter for what he termed selfish political interests.

Mr. Vijayendra also made a serious allegation, claiming that the Congress government is using intimidation tactics to force farmers into giving up their land. He urged the Chief Minister to immediately desist from such measures. The BJP leaders’ visit and their promise to scrap the project have reinforced the farmers’ agitation, setting the stage for a prolonged political debate over land acquisition in the state.