Is This District Part Of Bengaluru? DK Shivakumar, HD Kumaraswamy Differ

In what seems be a turf war between him and Janata Dal Secular leader HD Kumaraswamy, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday said the whole of what is now Ramanagara district belongs to Bengaluru and the residents of its four taluks were Bengalurians.

Mr Shivakumar, who hails from the region and represents Kanakapura Assembly segment in the district, suggested that he has a plan and a blueprint to bring Ramanagara district under Bengaluru, and would reveal it in the days to come.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he didn't know about the issue as Mr Shivakumar had not discussed with him in this regard.

Hitting back at Mr Shivakumar, Mr Kumaraswamy, a former Chief Minister, who represents Ramanagara Assembly segment in the district, alleged the move could be aimed at regularising "illegal or benami assets".

He also said Mr Shivakumar should understand that "even after taking seven births one cannot divide Ramangara district." Kumaraswamy was the Chief Minister of the JDS-BJP coalition, when Ramanagara district, which comprises Ramanagara, Channapatna, Magadi and Kanakapura taluks was created in August 2007.

Ramanagara, the headquarters of the district with the same name, is about 48 km from Bengaluru city.

"The whole of Ramanagara district belongs to Bengaluru. Magadi, Channapatna, Kanakapura and Ramanagara is are Bengaluru. What shape this plan has to be given, I will speak about it in the days to come," Mr Shivakumar said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "There is not so much urgency to give it a shape, we will give it a shape in the days to come, there is a blueprint for it."

In a post on X, Mr Kumaraswamy said Ramanagara district was formed after scientifically considering and checking the advantages and disadvantages to the people.

Hitting back at Mr Shivakumar, he said, "What is in their head? Is it looting lands worth gold in Kanakapura and handing them over to builders? Or build a fort on benami lands that have already been fenced? If you (Shivakumar) tell us, we will be grateful...."

Mr Shivakumar said: "I'm not bothered about what Mr Kumaraswamy says, what I do or the government does is important. Let Mr Kumaraswamy or anyone else take credit for making Ramanagara a district. The whole of Ramanagara district with its four taluks belongs to Bengaluru, let Mr Kumaraswamy get the documents and have a look at it," he said.

Ramanagara district was carved out of the erstwhile Bengaluru Rural district.

Pointing out that he hails from the region, Mr Shivakumar said, "We the residents of Ramanagara, Magadi, Channapatna and Kanakapura are Bengalurians and Bengaluru belongs to us, we are a part of Bengaluru.

Hitting out at BJP General Secretary and MLC N Ravikumar for targeting him on the issue, Mr Shivakumar claimed that he doesn't know anything.

Accusing Mr Shivakumar of wanting to "get richer", Mr Ravikumar had said that "Maybe he (Shivakumar) is not satisfied with his wealth. He and his family hold thousands of acres of land...it is for their prosperity that he wants to bring Kanakapura to Bengaluru."

Asked about his plan to make Ramanagara a part of Bengaluru, Mr Shivakumar said, "Why are you so urgent....on the occasion of Vijayadashami I have told our people this (plan)."

Targeting Mr Kumaraswamy, the deputy chief minister said, "Mr 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 HD Deve Gowda) before commenting on such an issue. His father is a senior person, he knows things -- what is Ramanagara, what is its history."

Noting that prominent personalities like the Adichunchanagiri seer, late Shivakumara seer of Siddaganga math, Bengaluru founder Kempegowda and former Chief Minister Kengal Hanumanthaiah were all from what is now Ramanagara district, he said, "We are from Bengaluru actually, we are not Ramanagara."

Mr Shivakumar said Mr Kumaraswamy created a new district with Ramanagara as its headquarters and gave the whole district the same name because he represented the Ramanagara constituency then.

"We should have decided at that time itself... We are basically from Bengaluru district, which later became Bengaluru Rural and Bengaluru Urban, and then Bengaluru Rural was again divided to carve out Ramanagara district," he added.

Shivakumar also said he is asking people of his constituency Kanakapura and the whole district of Ramanagara not to sell their properties and migrate.

"What I'm telling our people is -- we are on the border with Tamil Nadu...many are selling their property, whether they are from Magadi or Channapatna or Ramanagara or Kanakapura. I'm speaking for people from all these places including Ramanagara -- I'm telling our people that please keep your property with yourself, don't sell it, we are close to Bengaluru...we have a plan for the development of the region," he added.

Mr Siddaramaiah, speaking to reporters in Mysuru, said Mr Shivakumar has not discussed the issue with him and questions in this regard should be directed to him.

"I don't know, ask him... I will discuss it with him. As he has not discussed with me, I don't know what's on his mind," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)