Published Sep 08, 2026 | 7:57 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 08, 2026 | 7:57 PM
The 10-day padayatra, led by Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra, began on September 1 and is scheduled to conclude in Ballari.
Synopsis: The BJP’s Ballari Chalo padayatra entered its final phase amid uncertainty over its September 10 concluding venue and JD(S) participation. Authorities denied permission for the planned convention ground, while JD(S) leaders cited poor coordination and said they had received no directions to join, despite BJP claiming the ally was invited.
The BJP’s Ballari Chalo padayatra entered its final stretch on Tuesday, September 8, amid uncertainty over both its concluding venue and the participation of NDA ally Janata Dal (Secular).
Authorities have denied the BJP permission to use the Government Ex-Municipal School ground in Ballari for its September 10 concluding convention, citing guidelines that prohibit government pre-university college grounds and buildings from being used for private or public events, including political programmes.
At the same time, the JD(S) remains largely absent from the march, with senior party leader Doddappagouda Narebol telling South First that workers and leaders have, as of Tuesday, received no direction from the party leadership to participate in the September 10 finale, despite the BJP maintaining that its ally had been invited.
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The differing accounts point to a coordination gap between the two allies that, according to JD(S) leaders, dates back to the planning of the padayatra.
Narebol said the party had not been clearly informed about the decision to continue the march after former minister B. Nagendra resigned.
“So far, no direction has come from the top brass for JD(S) workers and leaders to participate,” he said.
Narebol added that JD(S) participation was still possible if the party leadership coordinated with the BJP, while stressing that the communication gap did not indicate a wider strain in the alliance.
BJP general secretary C. Ravi Kumar, however, said the JD(S) had been invited and that the BJP was awaiting confirmation on whether its leaders would attend the finale.
“We have invited JD(S) to be part of the yatra,” Ravi Kumar told South First.
“This is mostly a BJP stronghold, and we are awaiting confirmation on whether they will be in Ballari on September 10,” he said.
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The 10-day padayatra, led by Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra, began on September 1 and is scheduled to conclude in Ballari after covering around 170-175 km across nine Assembly constituencies.
Initially organised to demand former minister Nagendra’s resignation over the Valmiki Corporation scam, the BJP continued the march after his exit and broadened its campaign to drought-related concerns, issues surrounding the Gruha Jyothi scheme and other matters.
“We needed to carry it forward even though B Nagendra had resigned,” Ravi Kumar said.
“We wanted to focus on drought-related issues, SC/ST atrocities, Gruha Jyothi issues and other concerns,” he added.
According to JD(S) leaders, Vijayendra announced the padayatra without adequately consulting Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy or other leaders of the party.
Kumaraswamy subsequently questioned the decision to continue the march after Nagendra’s resignation and cited a lack of communication from the BJP. Against this backdrop, posters and promotional material for the padayatra largely featured BJP leaders, with JD(S) leaders absent from them.
JD(S) MLC TA. Sharavana said Kumaraswamy’s absence from the padayatra so far was also linked to his visit to the United States for the AKKA Sammelana.
Sharavana said Kumaraswamy was expected to reach Delhi on September 10 and could participate in the Ballari programme, though he did not confirm his attendance.
He also rejected suggestions that the JD(S)’s limited presence reflected a weak base in Kalyana Karnataka, arguing that the party should not be viewed as being confined to the Old Mysuru region.
Narebol similarly pointed to cooperation between the BJP and JD(S) during the Lok Sabha elections and their coordination for the upcoming Teachers’ and Graduates’ constituency elections to argue that the alliance remained intact.
Senior BJP leaders including B. Sriramulu, Govind Karjol and V. Sunil Kumar joined at different stages of the march. With the padayatra set to conclude on September 10, it remains unclear whether senior JD(S) leaders will join the Ballari finale.
(Edited by Fayisa CA)
