Latest news with #Siddaramaiah-led
Indian Express
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Amid fresh disquiet in Karnataka BJP, rejig buzz as Vijayendra faces turbulence
The recent flurry of visits by senior Karnataka BJP leaders to Delhi to meet the central leadership has again set off speculations in party circles about the possibility of an impending restructuring of the state unit, which may include the appointment of its 'full-fledged chief' and changes in key posts to accommodate rival groups. The performance of current Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly R Ashoka is said to have come under the scanner of the central leadership for 'putting up a weak front' against the ruling Congress. Vijayendra, son of BJP heavyweight and ex-chief minister B S Yediyurappa, was appointed as the state party chief on an ad-hoc basis in November 2023. Ahead of the upcoming monsoon session of the state Legislature, the BJP leaders have ruffled the central leadership for their perceived 'adjustment brand of politics' with the Congress on several public issues, sources said. In recent weeks the state BJP has been perceived to have let the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government get away lightly over various rows, including the bid for a new caste survey, corruption cases, and a stampede at the Bengaluru cricket stadium involving the deaths of 11 people in the wake of alleged overenthusiasm shown by Congress leaders to felicitate the IPL winning RCB team. There has been a perception in state political circles that the Siddaramaiah government has faced more resistance from within the faction-ridden Congress rather than the principal Opposition. Some BJP leaders had even felicitated Siddaramaiah in February this year – while seeking funds for development of Bengaluru ahead of the state Budget – in a sign of camaraderie. There have also been concerns in a BJP section that the party is not geared to 'effectively counter pro-minority policies' of the Siddaramaiah dispensation, which has always been at the centre of the party's attack against the Congress. Following the BJP leadership's recent crackdown against a vocal state faction, including the expulsion of dissident leader and ex-Union minister Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, the leadership of Vijayendra and Ashoka was seen as 'unchallenged'. However, various recent developments indicate that the state BJP leadership issues have yet to be fully settled. Former state party chief and CM D V Sadananda Gowda said this week that the situation in the state unit was like a 'tinderbox' waiting to explode. 'Anything we speak is seen in the wrong light even by our own leaders. All our leaders are caught up in their own small spheres. Every day goes by in listening to the voices from these echo chambers. It creates an impression that everything is fine. I would say that everything is not okay. There is bubbling unhappiness in the party in Karnataka,' Sadananda Gowda told reporters. 'We have to come out of this factionalism and disgruntlement. Once we emerge out of this, only then will we have the strength to counter the Congress government,' he said. 'If there has to be a unanimous decision on a party leader for the state, then there should be widespread consultations, which should not be restricted to a few leaders. The state BJP core committee's existence currently is only notional. There are no issue-based discussions in the committee,' Gowda claimed. He also said the practice of the state president holding consultations with the core committee to firm up the party's strategies has come to a halt. 'The decision on whether a candidate identified to be the state president is good or bad has to be decided by the party cadre. This is not happening. Otherwise, appoint a full time president and we will adjust to working with the chosen candidate, but this is also not happening. We cannot understand this,' he said. On his part, Vijayendra has refuted suggestions that his recent visit to Delhi was linked to any possible leadership change. He however expressed hope that the leadership would soon pick a full-time state president and name him for the post. 'We are a national party. Everyone's opinion has been taken. I am confident that I have done a very successful work in the last one-and-a-half years. Our workers and leaders are confident. So it will be good… for you…and me too,' Vijayendra said Thursday in Bengaluru after his return from Delhi. 'Now the elections of 14 state party presidents across the country have been completed. Very soon a decision will be made on six or seven more states,' Vijayendra said. 'The appointment of the party presidents for Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka have not been made,' he noted, claiming that he had gone to Delhi for 'personal reasons' and that other state leaders had done it too. Even LoP Ashok's multiple visits to Delhi could not be seen as a sign of imminent changes, Vijayendra said. 'Ashok is doing a very good job as the Opposition leader. The MLAs are also satisfied with him. However, there is a discussion in the media about a change of Opposition leaders. This is definitely not right,' he argued. 'Those who were expressing dissatisfaction are now out of the party. Some others have expressed small opinions. Union minister Pralhad Joshi and others are working to resolve issues. Everything will be fine,' Vijayendra said. On Sadananda Gowda's remarks, he said, 'Gowda is a senior. I will meet him and discuss with him. I do not agree that it is a tinderbox situation. It is natural to have minor differences of opinion in a party.' The BJP leadership's decision to name Vijayendra as the state ad hoc chief had come months after the party lost power to the Congress in the May 2023 Assembly polls. This was after the party tried to move away from the shadow of Yediyurappa during 2020-2023. The decision sparked resentment in the state party as senior leaders like Yatnal, Basavaraj Bommai, Shobha Karandlaje and C T Ravi were thus forced to follow Vijayendra, a first-time MLA. In January this year, senior BJP leader and Union minister Shivaraj Singh Chouhan had said that an election would be held for the post of the Karnataka BJP president as part of the organisational polls. This resulted in Vijayendra's rivals stepping up their attacks on him. In March, the party leadership expelled Vijayendra's key rival Yatnal, suggesting that it favoured a full three-year term for him. There seems to be a view in a large section of the state BJP that the leadership would not take the risk of dislodging Vijayendra from his post as it could also cost the party a backlash from its main support group — Lingayats to which Yediyurappa and his son belong. There appears to be however some uncertainty about the continuance of Ashok despite the point that he is from the Vokkaliga community, another dominant group in the state.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
‘Leave us and our land alone': Why Devanahalli farmers have been protesting for over 1,180 days against Karnataka government
The story so far: For over 1,180 days, hundreds of farmers have been staging protests at Channarayapatna hobli in Devanahalli taluk in Bengaluru Rural district, to save over 1,700 acres of land from 'forceful' acquisition by the Karnataka government for industrial development to set up hi-tech Defense and Aerospace Park. On June 27, the protestors launched an indefinite day-and-night dharna, this time at Freedom Park in the IT city. This is the latest measure in a protracted struggle, that is possibly among the longest farmers' protest in the State. Why did the agitation begin? What are the demands of the farmers? What is the government's proposal? What set off the agitation? The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) is seeking to acquire 1,777 acres of land spread across 13 villages in Devanahalli taluk for Phase II of the Haralur Industrial Area Development Project. In Phase I of the project, the board developed an industrial area spread over 1,282 acres, with two companies setting up production units. The previous Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government issued the preliminary notification for Phase II land acquisition on August 30, 2021. The final notification, to acquire 430 acres, was issued by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in 2025, despite stuff opposition from farmers. The villages where land has been notified for acquisition are Palya, Haraluru, Polanahalli, Gokare Bacchenahalli, Nallur, Mallepura, Nallappanahalli, Cheemachanahalli, Mattabaralu, Muddenahalli, Channarayapatna, S. Tellohalli and Hyadala. Following this development, under the banner 'Channarayapatna Land Acquisition Protest Committe', farmers launched an indefinite dharna on April 4, 2022, demanding the State government to withdraw the notification and bring the proposed land acquisition process to a complete halt. Over the course of the three-year-long fight, many like-minded people and organisations have joined the cause. This includes progressive organisations like Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Hasiru Sene, Eddelu Karnataka and Samyukta Horata Karnataka. What are the fears of farmers? It is estimated that about 700-800 farmers' families will be affected by this project. Up to 475 acres are owned by farmers belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Agriculture has created employment for about 6,000 labourers in the area. The area identified for acquisition is a prominent hub for cultivation of food grains, vegetables, greens, and fruits such as grapes, pomegranates, and mango. Vast land patches in the notified area cna be seen growing roses and other flowers as well. Farmers also earn livelihood from dairy farming, sericulture and animal husbandry. For farmers, parting with their fertile agricultural land holds both practical and emotional consequences — a loss of livelihood as well as ancestral inheritence. They are also worried that hundreds of families would be displaced and entire villages wiped out. Most echo the sentiment that they are not interested in monetary compensation; they simply want the State government to drop the proposal. Do all farmers want to retain their land? A public opinion elicited by the KIADB had showed that 80% of farmers had refused to part with their land. However, people have alleged the role of real estate agents and middlemen in manufacturing dissent among the farmers and also persuading a few landowners to give up their land for the project. Some agents are also acting as middlemen between farmers and the KIADB, they say. While compensation for the acquired land will be determined by the Deputy Commissioner of the district, land losers will have the option to receive 10,771 sqft of developed land per acre, which they can use for commercial purposes. To apply for compensation, farmers have to furnish more than 20 documents but not many small landholders have the knowledge to secure them. This is where agents, who have contacts in government departments, are trying to come in, in exchange for a hefty commission. These allegations have been refuted by KIADB officials, who insist that the board has no history of entertaining real estate agents and middlemen. The compensation is directly given to the landowner, and the board follows a fair process, they say. What is the government's stand? The government has attempted to strike a balance between industrial growth and agricultural welfare, appealing to farmers to end their protest on several occasions. Large and Medium Industries Minister M.B. Patil sought to pacify farmers recently by proposing that 495 acres of land belonging to three villages –Mattabaralu, Channarayapatna and S. Tellohalli – in Channarayapatna hobli would be excluded from the acquisition. No land would be acquired from the hobli in future for industrial purposes, he had added. However, he stated that acquisition of the remaining 1,232 acres would proceed unchanged, covering 10 villages. Decrying the offer as a 'divide-and-rule strategy', farmers rejected it summarily and reiterated that the acquisition process for the entire parcel of 1,777 acres should be shelved. 'Devanahalli Chalo' After the talks fell through, on June 25, close to 42 organisations from across the State participated in a massive 'Devanahalli Chalo' protest, where they served a 24-hour ultimatum to the State government to drop the acquisition process in full. Failing this, they threatened to launch an intensified struggle. The march was attended by people from various walks of life, including actor Prakash Raj, experts like T.N. Prakash Kammaradi, academicians and social activists. However, during the public meeting, police detained over 200 farmers. This upset farm leaders who submitted a memorandum to CM Siddaramaiah, accusing the police of treating farmers, who were fighting for justice, as criminals. They also sought action against the police. 'The government has tried to suppress the protest of Devanahalli farmers by using excessive police force. We are shocked to see that all the leaders, including women, being dragged and detained in a barbaric manner,' the memorandum said. Such arrests had been made earlier, too. On August 15, 2022, 72 protesting farmers from Devanahalli were arrested and FIRs were registered against them. Why the long-drawn conflict? Landholders have accused the Congress government of going back on the promise made ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections. Mr. Siddaramaiah, then the Opposition leader, had met protestors and given assurance of putting a complete stop the acquisition process initiated by the BJP. Not only was the promise quickly forgotten, but in fact, the project gained momentum after the Congress government came to power, irking farmers more and deepening the conflict. The resistance later returned into spotlight when farmers decided to boycott the Lok Sabha elections on April 26, 2024, in 14 constituencies in south Karnataka. It was only then that several politicians, including Ministers and candidates, met the farmers to cajole them to cast their votes. While the farmers eventually voted after being assured that their grievances would be addressed, nothing has materialised. Multiple rounds of talks between the farmers and the government as well as political leaders, including Siddaramaiah, H.D. Kumaraswamy, Ministers M.B. Patil and K.H. Muniyappa, have ended in an impasse. Without a final resolution in sight, the tug-of-war between the State and landholders continues to drag on. CM Siddaramaiah is set to hold another meeting with the farmers on July 4.
United News of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Bommai confirms BJP leadership change process, denies rift
Bengaluru, June 27 (UNI) Signaling a clear shift in Karnataka BJP's political tempo, senior leader and MP Basavaraj Bommai today confirmed that the process for appointing a state and national BJP president will begin soon. He downplayed all talk of internal discord, asserting that the party remains Karnataka's most stable political force. 'The process to appoint both the BJP's state and national president will start shortly. The decision lies solely with the senior leadership, and no one else can interfere. Their verdict will be final,' Bommai said, putting an end to speculation over internal confusion. 'If any political party in Karnataka is free from internal unrest, it is the Bharatiya Janata Party,' he added, declaring that the 'bell has already begun to ring' for leadership changes. These comments come in the wake of a party meeting here in the City. The assertion of unity also comes even as Karnataka BJP pesident Vijayendra Yediyurappa unveiled the party's aggressive campaign roadmap to take on the Congress government. Following a high-level strategy meeting, Vijayendra said the BJP would form nine to ten task teams to tour districts, assess local grievances, and organise targeted protests. 'We discussed how to confront the Congress government's failures head-on. We aim to take up local issues at district headquarters through structured protests. This isn't about any internal rift — it's about organisational planning and priority,' Vijayendra said. He too hinted at an impending leadership announcement, noting, 'A new BJP state president will be announced soon.' With both Bommai and Vijayendra projecting a confident and coordinated front, the BJP appears to be sharpening its attack against the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government — while ensuring any talk of factionalism is firmly put to rest. UNI BDN GNK
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Police brutality against farmers condemned, land acquisition in Devanahalli opposed
Members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Centre of Indian trade Unions (CITU) and the All India Kisan Khet Mazdoor Sangathan (AIKKMS) have strongly condemned Wednesday's police brutality against farmers, leaders and activists during a peaceful protest led by the Samyukta Horata Karnataka at Devanahalli in Bengaluru Rural district opposing the forcible land acquisition by the State government. The members of CPI(M), CITU and AIKKMS under the banner of Samyukta Horata Karnataka staged a protest and gathered at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Chowk and also outside the Deputy Commissioner's office in the city and raised slogans against the State government for manipulating the laws to acquire land by force without the consent of farmers in Devanahalli taluk. CPI(M) district secretary K. Neela said that the then BJP government in the State had implemented the land reform policy introduced by the BJP-led Central government. However, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government which had opposed the 'anti-farmer policy' and came to power vowing to protect the interest of farmers by repealing it, is now hell-bent on enforcing the same policy, leaving the farming community in distress, she said. For the past 1,180 days, farmers from 13 villages from Devanahalli taluk have been protesting against the State government's attempt to acquire 1,770 acres of agricultural land under the pretext of industrial development. The agitators said that the State government's land acquisition move is a threat to the livelihood of hundreds of farmers who mainly depend on horticulture, vegetable cultivation and dairy farming. Activists M.B. Sajjan and Sharanabasappa Mamshetty said that the State government held three rounds of meetings with farmers and organizations in the name of industrial development just to pacify them before announcing its final decision on Wednesday. They accused the State government of prioritizing industrial interests over those of farmers. Condemning the cowardly act of the police in trying to suppress democratic rights of farmers to fight for their land and livelihood, AIKKMS district president Ganpat Rao Mane criticised the police for taking 52 protestors (leaders and activists) into preventive custody on Wednesday for supporting the agitation. The agitators demanded that the State government stop the land acquisition process and warned that they will intensify their agitation and continue to fight until the acquired land is returned to farmers.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Karnataka cuts proposed excise license fee hike to 50%
The Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government on Thursday rolled back its earlier plan to double the excise license renewal fees and instead increased them by 50 per cent, following intense opposition from liquor sellers. The decision comes after several representatives, including the Karnataka Liquor Sellers' Association members, met with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and urged the government to reconsider the hike. They had requested a more moderate increase of 20 to 25 per cent. After reviewing the objections, the state government issued a fresh order implementing a 50 per cent increase instead. Additionally, the government also announced that the license renewal period has been extended from one year to five years, offering long-term relief to industry stakeholders. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like War Thunder - Register now for free and play against over 75 Million real Players War Thunder Play Now Undo The revised rates will come into effect from July 1. What will be the new renewal fees? The new renewal fees vary depending on the population size of the area. For metropolitan corporations with a population over 20 lakh, the annual renewal fee has been set at Rs 9 lakh. In other metropolitan areas, the fee is Rs 7.5 lakh. Live Events Municipal corporations will pay Rs 6.75 lakh, while towns, municipalities, and town panchayats will pay Rs 6 lakh. The fee structure in other areas will be determined based on local population figures. The government has also increased fees for all other types of excise licenses, a move that is expected to generate an additional Rs 300 crore in annual revenue. Notably, this is the first hike in excise license fees since 2016. Although proposals to increase the fees had been brought up multiple times in the past nine years, they were repeatedly postponed due to protests by liquor sellers. The state government also released new annual license fees for various categories: Distillery and Brewery: Rs 1,50,000 per annum, Craft Brewery: Rs 25,000 per annum, Fortified Wine Production: Rs 25,000 per annum, Distillery and Warehouse: Rs 67 lakh per annum and Bar Charter at International Airports: Rs 18.75 lakh per annum. As the new excise year is set to begin on July 1, over 13,000 license holders across Karnataka will have to renew their licenses at the updated rates. Beer sales lose fizz The beer industry has urged the Karnataka government not to go for any further tax increase as it may lead to reduced sales volumes in the state and put investment of over Rs 5,000 crore in breweries at risk. Frequent increases in taxes in Karnataka in recent times have affected growth from the beer industry and have also brought down tax revenues, the Brewers' Association of India (BAI) said in a letter to the state government. Taxes on beer have been increased three times in the last 18 months -- in July 2023, February 2024, and January 2025, and as a result, the growth in sales of beer in the state, which has always been healthy, has "slumped to stagnation", it said. In February last year, Karnataka increased the additional excise duty on beer from 185 per cent to 195 per cent. Later in January 2025, the excise duty was increased Rs 10 per bulk litre, or Rs 78 per case, on most of the beer sold in the state. Moreover, it will also force consumers to shift to cheaper options, leading to a revenue loss for the government. According to BAI, Karnataka has been a favoured investment destination for the beer industry, where its members have invested Rs 3,500 crore so far. There are over 10 breweries in the state -- the highest for any state in India.
