Bengaluru, 8 August

The Opposition BJP and JD(S) on Saturday decided to coordinate their strategy to take on the Congress government in Karnataka, both inside and outside the upcoming legislature, a day ahead of the JD(S)’ padayatra. 

Both parties will take part in the padayatra, led by JD(S) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy, between Bairamangala to Freedom Park from 9-11 August. They will protest the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township project, in which the State government will acquire some 9,000 acres of land to set up what has been described as India’s first “AI-powered” township. 

After a meeting with senior leaders, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka added that the two parties would jointly raise issues, including Bidadi township, during the upcoming session.

"Today, we decided to jointly fight against the Congress government over the land acquisition at Bidadi," he said.

He added the JD(S) would provide full support to the BJP in fighting issues like the alleged irregularities in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), corruption and the drought. 

State-level Coordination Committee

Ashoka also said that the NDA allies would constitute a State-level coordination committee comprising leaders from both parties within the next two or three days. The committee is likely to have around five members from each party and will also include Union ministers, he said. "We will jointly take up struggles at the district level as well," he added.