Bidadi Township Row: Karnataka CM and Union Minister Clash Over Land Acquisition and Compensation Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy engaged in a heated exchange on Saturday, June 21, over the proposed Bidadi Township project, accusing each other of shifting positions and questioning the legitimacy of land acquisition for industrial development. The dispute centered on the project’s origins, the compensation offered to farmers, and the legal status of the land in question. Shivakumar, addressing reporters after a Cabinet meeting at Vidhana Soudha, accused Kumaraswamy of being the project’s “architect” and criticized him for changing his stance on the initiative. He claimed that Kumaraswamy had previously supported the project’s original proposal, which included offering farmers 40% of the developed land as compensation. The current government, Shivakumar stated, had increased this share to 50%, and compensation payments at a rate of Rs 2.5 crore per acre had begun distribution. The Chief Minister also asserted that the Bidadi Township project was not a new initiative of the Congress-led government. He argued that Kumaraswamy had issued the initial notification for the project, which was later continued by former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa. Shivakumar questioned Kumaraswamy’s opposition to the current proposal, asking why the Union Minister had previously declared the Bidadi region a “red zone” and issued the original notification if he now opposed the project. Shivakumar further accused the opposition of politicizing the issue, claiming they demanded industrial development while opposing land acquisition.#vidhana_soudha #karnataka_legislative_assembly #bidadi_township #karnataka_cm #hd_kumaraswamy
Supreme Court Grants Temporary Relief to Congress MLA Rajegowda Amid Election Dispute The Supreme Court on May 11, 2026, ruled in favor of Congress MLA T.D. Rajegowda, temporarily preserving his position as a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The court ordered that Rajegowda remain as the representative of the Shringeri constituency despite the recent election results, which had declared BJP candidate D.N. Jivraj as the winner. The decision came after Rajegowda challenged the validity of the election outcome in the Supreme Court, arguing that the recount of postal ballots conducted by the High Court violated legal procedures. The dispute originated from the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, where Rajegowda secured victory by a narrow margin of 201 votes over Jivraj. Following the results, Jivraj contested the outcome, filing a petition with the Karnataka High Court. On April 6, 2026, the High Court ordered a recount of 279 rejected postal ballots, including a revalidation of their authenticity. On May 3, 2026, the Returning Officer officially announced the revised results, stating that Rajegowda’s vote count had been reduced by 255 votes, leading to Jivraj’s declaration as the winner. Rajegowda contested this outcome, asserting that the High Court’s recount process was flawed. In his petition to the Supreme Court, he argued that the court had expanded the scope of the recount beyond the 279 rejected ballots, including 562 valid postal ballots that were not originally part of the disputed count. He claimed this violated electoral laws and undermined the integrity of the election process. The Supreme Court, in its ruling, acknowledged the concerns raised by Rajegowda but emphasized that the legal framework for electoral disputes must be upheld.#supreme_court #rajegowda #karnataka_legislative_assembly #shringeri_constituency #d_n_jivraj
