Bidadi Township Project gathers wider social, political base
The Hindu – National
thehindu.com
Summary
Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription Published - July 14, 2026 08:05 pm IST - BENGALURU The participation of women in the protests against the Bidai project, including Monday’s demonstration in which they confronted officials with broomsticks during a land survey, has added a new political symbolism to the agitation. Opposition to the proposed Bidadi Township Project on the outskirts of Bengaluru, which had so far been projected largely as a farmers’ agitation led by landowners and backed by the BJP and the JD(S), appears to be widening both in its social base and geographical spread. Women are often perceived as protectors of household livelihoods, making it more difficult for the ruling Congress to dismiss the protests as being driven solely by political parties. The BJP and the JD(S), meanwhile, have sought to portray the project as evidence of the Congress government’s “anti-farmer” approach despite its welfare initiatives. Within the Congress, the controversy has exposed differing views. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president B.K. Congress leaders also acknowledge the dilemma before the government.
From the source
While a forceful push to acquire land could alienate farmers and rural voters, abandoning or scaling down the project could weaken the government’s development narrative and be seen as yielding to Opposition-backed protests
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Published by The Hindu – National on thehindu.com
