NDA leaders hold meeting against Bidadi township proposal ahead of Assembly session

BENGALURU: The leaders of the BJP and JDS in Karnataka held a meeting on Saturday against the Bidadi township proposal ahead of the State Assembly session.

This comes amid continued opposition from farmers to the Karnataka government’s proposed township project in Bidadi, with protesters expressing concerns over the acquisition of agricultural land and its impact on their livelihoods.

#WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka: On BJP-JDS meeting, BJP leader R Ashoka says, “… The BJP has already held a huge dharna at Freedom Park; now will do a Paday Yatra. After that, when the Assembly starts, we will decide together and hold a joint program at Freedom Park. We are… pic.twitter.com/RVkm36NqFw

— ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2026

Earlier in July, BJP leaders and workers held massive protests against the proposed Bidadi Township project in Bengaluru, demanding the scrapping of the project.

State BJP president BY Vijayendra claimed that 80 per cent of farmers are against the township and are not willing to give up their land after the Karnataka government’s final notification to acquire nearly 500 acres for the proposed Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) near Bidadi.

He urged Chief Minister D K Shivakumar not to push farmers to give away their land, claiming that farmers have been “threatened by goondas” to do so.

#WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka: On the BJP-JDS coordination meeting, Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy says, “… Several issues were discussed in today’s meeting, including the Bidadi issue, corruption, drought, and township issues, which will be raised on the floor of the House…” pic.twitter.com/PerFXkTuyY

— ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2026

Meanwhile, Shivakumar said the notification for the project was issued by Kumaraswamy and later continued by BS Yediyurappa. “The farmers of Bidadi are good people. They are being misled. Isn’t Kumaraswamy the father of this project? He has admitted it himself,” the Chief Minister said.

“We are only taking it forward. We are not doing anything new. Who acquired land for the Bidadi industrial area? In the existing 9,000 acres, didn’t former BJP CM Jagadish Shettar acquire 1,000 acres?” he asked.

The Karnataka government’s proposed Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) has sparked strong opposition from farmers and triggered a political row over land acquisition. Envisioned as India’s first “AI-powered city” in Bidadi, around 40 km from Bengaluru, the project covers nearly 9,600 acres and requires the acquisition of vast stretches of fertile agricultural land. (ANI)