Bidadi township plan fuels farmer protests and political criticism in Karnataka

Former Karnataka chief minister and MP Basavaraj Bommai questioned the state government's decision to advance the Bidadi township project on government land, alleging a hidden agenda and pointing to internal directives that bypass farmer consent. He highlighted that the scheme was originally launched under former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy and saw no progress during Yediyurappa’s tenure.

Farmers in Haveri district have intensified opposition, staging a blood‑stained banner protest in Bairamangal village and demanding that the state withdraw land‑acquisition notices covering roughly 4,940 acres. The government temporarily halted a joint‑measurement survey and Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar promised no forced acquisition, offering compensation only to voluntary sellers and forming a review committee. Despite these assurances, protest leaders say they will continue resisting the township plan.