Why Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar's Bengaluru Expansion Plan Has Very Few Takers

After announcing plans of possibly having a 190 kilometre-long underground network of roads in Bengaluru to the tallest skydeck yet, Karnataka deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has stoked yet another controversy, by announcing his intention to merge areas outside of Bengaluru into the city.

A few days ago, Shivakumar took to 'X' and announced that he intends Kanakapura to be a part of Bengaluru. Earlier today, he announced that the Ramanagara district will be renamed as 'Bengaluru South'. Ramanagara has a strong Vokkaliga presence, and is considered to be the bastion of the Janata Dal (Secular).

Real Estate Strategy?

If this materialises, then the talukas of Channapatna, Ramanagara, Magadi, Harohalli, Kanakapura will become a part of the extended Bengaluru district.

While some netizens poked fun at Shivakumar's ideas by stating that the whole of Karnataka should be renamed as Bengaluru, the others speculate that this is being done as a strategy to inflate real estate prices in Kanakapura and other Vokkaliga-dominated areas where Shivakumar is powerful.

According to PTI, he stated that the people of the four talukas are 'Bengalureans'. Opposing this, former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy said that "one cannot divide Ramanagara district even after taking seven births". While Kumaraswamy accused Shivakumar of robbing the new district's identity, senior BJP leader R Ashok said that the plan is a part of Shivakumar's 'business mentality'.

Shivakumar had also asked people not to sell their lands in Kanakapura since the value is about to increase. Furthermore, Kumaraswamy said that this was a part of Shivakumar's plan to regularise 'benami' assets (illegal).

'Not In Seven Lives'

Ramanagara district was created during the chief ministership of H D Kumaraswamy in August 2007. This was at the time when the JD(S) was in a coalition government with the BJP. Back then, the Government of Karnataka had included Ramanagara, Channapatna, Magadi and Kanakapura as a part of the Ramanagara district.

Hitting out at the accusations leveled against him, Shivakumar said, "Kumaraswamy was earlier the Chief Minister. I thought he had common sense, but he doesn't have common sense. He should at least try to know from his father (former PM H D Deve Gowda) before commenting on such an issue. His father is a senior person, he knows thing — what is Ramanagara, what is its history," he added.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has distanced himself from Shivakumar's comments and said that he is not aware of the issue and that he will discuss it with him.

A July report by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) declared Shivakumar the richest MLA in India with declared assets worth Rs 1,413 crore.