The political tussle over the proposed Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township near Bidadi escalated on Monday, June 22, with Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy exchanging official letters challenging each other for an open debate on land acquisition and compensation for affected farmers.
The exchange began with Shivakumar inviting Kumaraswamy to a discussion at Vidhana Soudha on June 26, asserting that the township project originated during the latter's tenure as Chief Minister.
“Regarding the Bidadi Township Project, which was initiated during your tenure, I am keen to hold a comprehensive discussion with you. I request you and a team of five representatives to attend a meeting at my office in Vidhana Soudha on June 26,” Shivakumar stated in his letter.
Hours later, Kumaraswamy responded, thanking the Chief Minister for the invitation but rejecting the proposal for a closed-door meeting at the Secretariat. He argued that any meaningful discussion on the project must include the affected stakeholders.
Farmers in the Bidadi region have also been demanding that Chief Minister DK Shivakumar visit the area and meet them directly to hear their concerns on the proposed township project.
In his reply, the JD(S) leader proposed that the discussion be held in either Bidadi or Bairamangala, where farmers have been protesting against the project. Citing prior commitments on June 26, he requested that the meeting be rescheduled to June 27.
Kumaraswamy also urged the government to allow affected residents, including women engaged in animal husbandry and small business owners, to directly present their grievances before the administration.
The exchange of letters came hours after Kumaraswamy accused the Congress of taking a contradictory stand on the township project. Addressing a press conference, the Union Minister released copies of Assembly proceedings from 2006, when Congress leaders, including Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, had opposed his proposal to develop townships at five locations across the state.
“I withdrew the proposal in August 2007 to safeguard farmers’ interests. I have had no role in the project since,” Kumaraswamy said.
Expressing displeasure over attempts to link him to the current project, he pointed out that the preliminary notification for land acquisition was issued on March 12, 2025, while the final notification was issued on June 10, 2026.
“The project is not being executed through official channels. Middlemen and real-estate merchants are running this project from their private offices near Nagarabhavi,” Kumaraswamy alleged.
He further said that authorities had failed to respond to objections submitted by nearly 4,500 farmers opposing the acquisition process.
The Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township project has triggered sustained protests from farmers in the Bidadi region, who fear loss of agricultural land and inadequate compensation. The issue has emerged as a major political flashpoint between the Congress government and the JD(S)-BJP opposition.
The Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT), popularly known as the Bidadi AI Township, is a Rs 18,133-crore urban development project proposed by the Karnataka government in Bidadi, around 40 km from Bengaluru. Conceived as a “work-live-play” township and Bengaluru’s second central business district, the project includes plans for residential, commercial, educational and healthcare infrastructure, with more than 2,000 acres earmarked for artificial intelligence and technology industries.
The government says the township is intended to decongest Bengaluru and attract investments, while landowners have been offered either monetary compensation or developed plots in return for acquired land. However, the project has triggered sustained protests from farmers, who argue that the acquisition threatens fertile agricultural land and livelihoods.
