Magadi MLA H.C. Balakrishna Alleges Political Motive Behind Opposition to Bidadi Township Project

Magadi MLA H.C. Balakrishna on Wednesday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) leaders are opposing the Bidadi Township Project for political reasons, specifically citing their inability to accept D.K. Shivakumar as Chief Minister. Speaking to presspersons in Bidadi, the Congress legislator claimed that leaders from other parties are targeting the project because they are "unable to tolerate" Mr. Shivakumar's rise to the state's top post.

The Bidadi Township Project, a long-planned urban development near Bengaluru, has been mired in controversy over land acquisition and zoning. Mr. Balakrishna pointed out that the land acquisition process was underway even during Siddaramaiah's tenure as Chief Minister, and some farmers had opposed it then. He questioned why JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy and BJP leader R. Ashoka did not come forward to support the farmers at that time.

According to the MLA, the project was not initiated by Mr. Shivakumar but by Mr. Kumaraswamy as far back as 2006. He stated that after the Congress government came to power, farmers submitted petitions demanding either the removal of the Red Zone classification or fair compensation, leading to the project's revival. The Red Zone classification restricts land conversion, and Mr. Balakrishna argued that most land in Bidadi is "no longer agricultural" but has been transformed into real estate layouts. He claimed that had the area not been declared a Red Zone by Mr. Kumaraswamy, it would have fallen into the hands of the "real estate mafia." He asserted that the classification has preserved agricultural land by preventing widespread conversion.

Mr. Balakrishna further alleged that leaders from the Vokkaliga community in other parties are particularly opposed to Mr. Shivakumar, who is also a Vokkaliga, becoming Chief Minister. He suggested that they had expected internal conflicts within the Congress to prevent Mr. Shivakumar's ascension, and are now unsettled by the power transition from Mr. Siddaramaiah.

It is noteworthy that in the past, local farmers have challenged similar statements made by Mr. Balakrishna and invited him to their villages for a debate. The MLA's remarks add a political dimension to the ongoing dispute over the Bidadi Township Project, which has seen intermittent protests by farmers and activist groups. The opposition parties have yet to formally respond to these allegations.