Published Sep 01, 2026 | 11:41 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 01, 2026 | 11:44 AM
BJP State President Vijayendra Yediyurappa and former CM B.S. Yediyurappa sought Guru Rayaru’s blessings ahead of the march. (Photo | X
Karnataka BJP on Tuesday, September 1, launched its 10-day march from Lingasugur to Ballari, targeting the Congress government over a series of alleged issues, including the ₹187-crore Valmiki Corporation scam, KPSC recruitment irregularities, diversion of SC/ST funds, drought management and the amendment permitting infrastructure projects on parkland.
Initially planned to highlight the alleged Valmiki Trust fund scam, the padayatra has been expanded to raise broader concerns.
BJP leader and MLC Raghu Kautilya released the posters of the padayatra on August 31 and announced that leaders and workers from across Karnataka would participate in the march under the leadership of state BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka, and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy.
According to reports, over 30,000 people are expected to attend the march while over 700 police personnel will be deployed.
Maintaining that the march was not confined to the alleged scam surrounding former minister B Nagendra, Vijayendra said, “We are undertaking the padayatra on at least 10 different issues, not just one.”
“We have several issues that will be discussed during our padayatra, and Nagendra’s resignation is one of them. There is a drought issue. Around 2.5 lakh vacancies in various state departments are still unfilled,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Congress has reportedly begun preparing to counter the march with Chief Minister Shivakumar and KPCC president BK Hariprasad holding discussions with party leaders and legislators from Raichur, Koppal and Ballari districts.
“Let them undertake the padayatra. After that, I will tell you what yatra we will undertake. We are politicians too. Let them start,” Shivakumar told media.
Questioning the BJP’s decision to go forward with the march which was initially planned as a protest demanding the resignation of Nagendra, the KPCC president accused the saffron party of attempting to politicise the issue.
Amid the controversy over the alleged Valmiki scam, B Nagendra resigned as the Planning and Statistics minister on August 28, less than a month after he was inducted into the Shivakumar-led Cabinet.
