Overview
- Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar formally invited Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to a meeting at Vidhana Soudha on June 26, and Kumaraswamy declined that closed‑door format while asking for a public session in Bidadi on June 27 so affected farmers can speak directly.
- Kumaraswamy said nearly 4,500 formal objections from farmers remain unanswered and alleged non‑official intermediaries are influencing the project, while the state says it has offered high compensation and is consulting stakeholders.
- Farmers have been protesting for more than 450 days against acquisition of several thousand acres for the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township, citing threats to dairy, sericulture and horticulture livelihoods.
- Opposition parties and some local allies have rallied to the farmers’ cause and signalled legal challenges, with leaders saying they are preparing court action to contest the acquisition process.
- The dispute elevates political pressure on the Congress government by turning the development plan for an AI‑focused township into a live test of consent, transparency and compensation in land policy.