Bidadi township project: Is stage set for CM Shivakumar-Kumaraswamy public debate?

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday (June 22) challenged Union Minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy to an open debate on the proposed GBIT project near Bidadi in Bengaluru South district, and the government's land acquisition for it.

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In a letter addressed to Kumaraswamy, Shivakumar said, “Regarding the Bidadi Township project, I am prepared to discuss comprehensively with the Union Minister and former Chief Minister Shri H.D. Kumaraswamy, and through a letter, I have officially invited them, along with their five representatives to arrive at my office in Vidhana Soudha on 26-06-2026 at 11 a.m.

“I am always ready to discuss the Bidadi Township project, which was initiated by Shri Kumaraswamy himself, based on all records, government decisions, and factual realities—come on…,” Shivakumar wrote on his X (Formerly Twitter) account along with the letter.

Kumaraswamy’s response

Responding to this, Kumaraswamy asked the Chief Minister to come to Byramangala, near Bidadi, where farmers have been protesting, whenever he was free.

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Claiming that 80-90 per cent of local farmers remain opposed to the township project and that more than 4,000 farmers have filed objections since the government issued its preliminary notification, the Union Minister criticised the administration for allegedly failing to respond to those objections and asked "Is this what public service means?" "A challenge was thrown for a debate (from Shivakumar). Come let's go to Byramangala and see whether the farmers have really consented to give up their land for the project," Kumaraswamy said.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said, "I'm free, you (Shivakumar) are running a government and will be busy until midnight 12 or 1. So I had said that whenever you make time and fix a schedule, I would come for a discussion. I'm saying the same thing even now: I'm free and I can come any time. I never said, I will not come. He (CM) is busy. I'm not as busy as he is. So amid his busy schedule, if he comes, I'm ready at any time." "Let's go to the people at Byramangala, where women and the elderly have been sitting in protest for over 450 days. Let's discuss in front of them," he added.

Opposition from farmers

Despite opposition from sections of farmers and villagers, a final notification was recently issued for the acquisition of 499 acres across three villages in Ramanagara and Harohalli taluks for the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT; also known as Bidadi AI City), one of Shivakumar's ambitious projects, projected as India's "first AI-powered integrated township".

The project is expected to cover a total of 7,481 acres across nine villages in the region. The notification issued recently is likely to be the first in a series of land acquisition notifications expected in the coming days.