Bidadi township fight revives Deve Gowda-Shivakumar turf war

Bengaluru: The political battle between former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda's family and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar over the proposed Bidadi township project has reopened old fault lines surrounding land, infrastructure and real estate politics in the Bengaluru-Ramanagara corridor. The Rs 18,000 crore project, spread across nearly 7,500 acres, is the latest flashpoint and has triggered sharp opposition from JD(S) brass led by Gowda and his son and Union minister HD Kumaraswamy. After the cabinet approved the project, Gowda had alleged farmers' land was being acquired for "profiteering" and claimed a "land mafia" was behind the proposal. He also wrote to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi seeking their intervention. Kumaraswamy accused Shivakumar of converting the project into a "real estate business" and vowed support to protesting farmers. Shivakumar has dismissed the allegations and insists nearly 80% of farmers had consented to the project. The govt is expected to begin the acquisition process in June. The confrontation is also being viewed as a larger political contest for influence in the Vokkaliga stronghold of Ramanagara — now Bengaluru South — Bidadi and Kanakapura, where both the Gowda family and Shivakumar have deep political roots. The row has revived memories of the decades-long conflict between Gowda and businessman Ashok Kheny over the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project executed by Kheny's company NICE. The expressway and township project became one of Karnataka's most contentious land disputes, marked by allegations of excess land acquisition, prolonged litigation and political campaigns. Gowda emerged as one of the project's fiercest critics, repeatedly demanding a CBI probe and alleging NICE had grabbed excess land from farmers. The dispute spilled into coalition politics as well, with JD(S) once threatening to withdraw support after Kheny joined Congress. In 2021, a Bengaluru civil court ruled in favour of NICE and directed Gowda to pay Rs 2 crore in damages for defaming the company and Kheny. The court noted that the project had been upheld by both the Karnataka high court and Supreme Court as being in the larger public interest. The political sparring, though, has continued. Kumaraswamy recently accused Shivakumar of encroaching land acquired for the NICE Road project, while Congress functionaries targeted the Gowda family over alleged land holdings around Bidadi and Ramanagara. Last year, revenue officials surveyed more than 110 acres of farmland linked to Kumaraswamy, his relatives and former minister DC Thammanna at Kethaganahalli near Bidadi following allegations of govt land encroachment. Kumaraswamy denied any wrongdoing and termed the exercise politically motivated. Political observers say recurring land battles in Bengaluru's expanding periphery reflect the rising strategic and commercial importance of these areas as the city grows outward. Kumaraswamy and members of the Gowda family have historically represented Ramanagara and Channapatna, while Shivakumar, who represents Kanakapura, has steadily expanded Congress's influence in the region, turning it into a direct political battleground between the two camps. Political analyst Vishwas Shetty said land politics has historically shaped regional politics. "Whenever Bengaluru expands, land becomes the centre of political power. Ramanagara, Bidadi and Kanakapura are strategically important because urban growth directly increases land value. Political families naturally seek influence over these regions," he said. Urban policy expert N Krishnaswamy, said: "Projects involving thousands of acres inevitably trigger fears among farmers regarding compensation, displacement and speculative real estate activity. In Karnataka, land acquisition around Bengaluru has always had political overtones."