Published Jun 14, 2026 | 4:21 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 14, 2026 | 4:21 PM
BJP Karnataka President BY Vijayendra.
Synopsis: BJP Karnataka President BY Vijayendra has written to Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, urging him to intervene in the Karnataka government’s proposed acquisition of 7,481 acres of farmland for the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township project near Bidadi. Vijayendra said farmers from 25 villages had opposed the project for more than 470 days and alleged that the final acquisition notification was issued despite thousands of objections and without a public hearing.
BJP Karnataka President BY Vijayendra has urged Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to intervene in the proposed land acquisition for the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) project in Bidadi, Bengaluru South district, saying it would adversely affect thousands of farmers and rural families.
In a letter dated 14 June, Vijayendra said residents of 25 villages in and around Bidadi had been protesting peacefully for more than 470 days against the Karnataka government’s proposal to acquire 7,481 acres of agricultural land for the ₹18,000-crore “Work-Live-Play” township planned between Bidadi and Harohalli. Championed by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar since its inception, the project is intended to help decongest Bengaluru.
Vijayendra alleged that despite more than 3,500 written objections from small and marginal farmers, the final land acquisition notification was published in the State Gazette on 11 June 2026, without any public hearing.
Stating that the land earmarked for acquisition was among the most fertile agricultural belts in the region, Vijayendra said it supplied Bengaluru with milk, vegetables, fruits, arecanut and bananas on a daily basis.
He also expressed concern over the project’s proximity to the historic 1,000-acre Byramangala tank and its potential impact on local livelihoods, particularly those of rural women dependent on agriculture and allied activities.
ರೈತರ ಹಿತಾಸಕ್ತಿಗಳ ವಿರುದ್ಧವಾಗಿ, ಬಿಡದಿ ಬಳಿಯ ಫಲವತ್ತಾದ ಭೂಮಿಯನ್ನು ರಿಯಲ್ ಎಸ್ಟೇಟ್ ಹೆಸರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಕಬಳಿಸುವ ಹುನ್ನಾರದಿಂದ ರಾಜ್ಯ @INCKarnataka ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಕೈಗೆತ್ತಿಕೊಂಡಿರುವ ಭೂಸ್ವಾಧೀನ ಪ್ರಕ್ರಿಯೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕೂಡಲೇ ಮಧ್ಯಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸಿ, ರಾಜ್ಯ ಸರ್ಕಾರಕ್ಕೆ ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಲು ಸೂಚಿಸುವಂತೆ ಕೋರಿ ಲೋಕಸಭೆ ವಿಪಕ್ಷ ನಾಯಕರಾದ ಶ್ರೀ @RahulGandhi… pic.twitter.com/MV03N4h5oQ
— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) June 14, 2026
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Vijayendra alleged that the Congress government was proceeding with the acquisition despite sustained opposition from local farmers and termed the GBIT project a “state-engineered land grab”.
“You travel the country raising the banner of land rights for farmers. You speak of protecting India’s soil from the grip of corporate interests, and you have led yatras built around precisely this cause. Yet here in Karnataka, the Congress Chief Minister remains unmoved, even as some of our state’s poorest farmers are pushed to the brink of losing everything they own,” he wrote.
“The consent of these farmers was set aside entirely, and the final notification was pushed through regardless of their objections. Is this how a government that claims to stand with farmers is meant to behave?” he asked.
The BJP leader further contended that the land proposed for acquisition was not barren but highly productive agricultural land that supported multiple crops and allied industries.
He said thousands of rural women had built “independent, self-reliant livelihoods” around farming activities and local arecanut processing units. He also argued that the project could threaten the ecology of the Byramangala tank, which, he said, had sustained the region for generations.
Vijayendra alleged that land belonging to poorer farmers was being acquired at “rock-bottom guidance values”, while real estate developers stood to gain substantially once the land was converted for urban development. He claimed that the project would also force rural women out of farm-based occupations and into insecure jobs in the urban informal sector.
“I sincerely request you to intervene immediately and direct the Chief Minister of the State to withdraw this ongoing process of forcible land acquisition, which is being carried out against the interests of the farmers,” he said in the letter.
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JD(S) Youth Wing State President Nikhil Kumaraswamy alleged that the land acquisition was intended to serve vested real estate interests.
“This government cannot see or hear. The struggle in the Bhairamangala and Kanchugaranahalli areas has been going on for more than 450 days. Farmers have been forced to fight for their own land. Most farmers in this region own only one acre. Around 80 percent own no more than an acre. In Kempayyanapalya alone, 354 acres have been notified. Of the 600 farmers in this area, 500 own less than one acre,” he said.
“Chief Minister DK Shivakumar tells farmers in Kanakapura, his own constituency, ‘Do not sell your land; it will fetch a better price in the future.’ But he is trying to forcibly acquire the lands of poor farmers in Bidadi. For personal interests, notifications are being issued in a calculated manner.”
Nikhil Kumaraswamy alleged that the project was primarily aimed at real estate development and claimed that the government’s own documents supported the contention.
“They are acquiring farmers’ lands to carry out a real estate business. This is mentioned in the government’s own report. Farmers are being paid ₹2.5 crore per acre, but by selling the land in smaller parcels, profits of up to ₹25 crore per acre can be earned. Through this project, the government is planning to make a profit of ₹33,000 crore,” he alleged.
“It would not be surprising if ₹1,000 crore is made in the name of farmers. For whose benefit is this project being implemented? Is there any need for such a project when there is no money?” he asked.
He warned of a massive agitation if the project was not withdrawn.
“Why are you treating this project as a matter of prestige and doing injustice to farmers? We will not allow this. We will launch a massive struggle through a padayatra and lay siege to the Vidhana Soudha,” he said.
“Even though the Finance Department has not approved the project, it is being continued. Officials themselves are saying it will burden the government. To obtain loans from HUDCO, these very lands will have to be mortgaged. Does the government need farmers’ land merely to make a profit of ₹33,000 crore?” he asked.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
