The chair kept vacant for Chief Minister DK Shivakumar at a farmers' meeting in Byramangala on Saturday, June 27, became a rallying point for Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who accused the Congress leader of avoiding a direct confrontation with aggrieved landowners and plotting for years to acquire fertile agricultural land around Bidadi.
Addressing the gathering after Shivakumar skipped the open discussion that Kumaraswamy had invited him to attend, the Union Minister alleged that the proposed acquisition of lands around Bidadi was not a recent move but part of a long-term plan to bring the region under real estate development.
Kumaraswamy claimed that Shivakumar had for years encouraged farmers to hold on to their lands by telling them that they would eventually become residents of Bengaluru and that their properties would command much higher prices.
He cited remarks allegedly made by Shivakumar on October 24, 2023, during a Vijayadashami event at Sathanur in Kanakapura, where the Chief Minister had reportedly urged farmers not to sell their land even if offered double the prevailing rate, saying they would one day belong to "Bengaluru district" and reap greater returns.
According to Kumaraswamy, these remarks were an early indication of plans to rename Ramanagara district as "Bengaluru South", a move that he said sparked discussions in political and real estate circles.
The Union Minister noted that on May 22, 2025, the state cabinet headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah approved the renaming of Ramanagara district, with the Revenue Department issuing a Gazette notification the following day.
He further pointed out that on January 18, 2024, the cabinet approved amendments to the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority Act, paving the way for the formation of the Greater Bengaluru Development Authority (GBDA), which was formally constituted through a Gazette notification on June 11, 2026.
Kumaraswamy said that on March 12, 2025, the GBDA issued a preliminary notification to acquire around 7,481 acres across nine villages in Ramanagara and Harohalli taluks.
"Anyone who examines these developments can see that the Chief Minister has had his eyes on these lands for years," Kumaraswamy alleged, claiming that decisions were taken in phases and that authority was being misused to deprive farmers of their lands.
Maintaining that the land where he addressed the gathering belonged to Ramanagara district, Kumaraswamy said he would never call it Bengaluru South.
Responding to allegations that the Bidadi township project was originally his idea, he said he had abandoned the proposal after local residents opposed it and had announced its withdrawal on the floor of the Assembly. He alleged that the Congress government, particularly Shivakumar, was now attempting to revive the same project.
He also defended himself against criticism over the "Red Zone" issue and said he personally owned agricultural land in the region, where he cultivated ragi, coconut and arecanut.
Questioning the government's approach, Kumaraswamy asked why the people of Bidadi should part with their lands if Shivakumar himself had urged farmers in Kanakapura not to sell even an inch of theirs.
The Union Minister further criticised Bengaluru's civic infrastructure, alleging that despite spending Rs 1,200 crore on pothole repairs, the government had failed to address basic urban issues and was instead focused on renaming Ramanagara as Bengaluru South to facilitate land acquisition.
He also accused Shivakumar of acquiring vast tracts of land over the years and intimidating landowners into selling their properties. Kumaraswamy recalled that Congress leaders themselves had opposed the acquisition of fertile agricultural land in 2006-07 and had raised the issue in the Assembly.
Stating that he had refused Shivakumar's invitation to discuss the matter at Vidhana Soudha, Kumaraswamy said any discussion on the issue should take place in front of the affected farmers.
In a sharp attack on the Chief Minister, he said those threatening to send him to jail would have to be "born a hundred times over" to do so and questioned whether they had gone to Tihar Jail as freedom fighters.
Assuring farmers of his support, Kumaraswamy said they need not spend a single rupee on legal battles and pledged to stand by them. He also alleged that while government land near Eagleton had been valued at Rs 12 crore, farmers in the affected areas were being offered only around Rs 2 crore as compensation.
