Belagavi, 7 Dec

The Winter Session of the Karnataka Legislature will commence in Belagavi from Monday amid tight security and an electric political environment. 

The State holds its winter session in Belagavi every year. So far, 13 joint sessions of both the Houses have been held in the city, incurring a total expenditure of nearly Rs 170 crore.  Last year’s session alone cost Rs 15 crore, while this time the 10-day session is expected to cost around ₹21 crore.

All 11 sessions held at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, except for the first two at KLE’s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, have witnessed pro-Maharashtrian the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti's (MES) parallel gathering that was named as 'maha melava' (a mega convention). 

Due to protests from Kannada outfits, the State government barred the organisation from holding the meeting that used to take place on the inaugural day of every session. The government made the MES hold its maha melava to Shinnolli, a border village in Maharashtra, some 13kms away from Belagavi. 

In one such agitation by farmers, violence broke out and then Belagavi SP Sanjay Patil sustained head injuries during stone-pelting but continued to manage the situation with a makeshift bandage. The protest led to a five-hour blockade of the Pune–Bengaluru National Highway adjacent to Suvarna Soudha.

The 2023 and 2024 sessions were dominated by the agitation of the Panchamasali Lingayat community demanding inclusion under Category 2A reservation. Despite the government offering Category 2B, the community continued its protest. In 2023, a massive rally led by Shri Jayamruthyunjaya Swamiji was held near the highway, with several ministers and legislators skipping the session to participate. In 2024, the protest turned violent, prompting a police lathi charge. This year, the Panchamasali community has again been granted permission for a silent protest on 10 December.

Although the Belagavi district administration claims to be fully prepared, there is public concern that despite the huge expenditure, issues concerning North Karnataka rarely receive the priority they deserve. Traditionally, discussions related to the region are limited to the last two days of the session, while much of the time gets consumed by disruptions and political clashes.