Budget to set aside funds for irrigation projects in Karnataka: BJP leaders

Amid water disputes like Mahadayi, Cauvery and Krishna, with neighbouring states, party leaders said major irrigation projects, including the Upper Bhadra project, will play a crucial role for the BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state will set aside considerable funds from the state Budget for irrigation projects in a bid to regroup their vote bank in central Karnataka ahead of the assembly elections, party officials said on Thursday.

Basavaraj Bommai-led government is following the foootsteps of Centre announcing ₹5,300 crore for Upper Bhadra project. (PTI)

Amid water disputes like Mahadayi, Cauvery and Krishna, with neighbouring states, party leaders said major irrigation projects, including the Upper Bhadra project, will play a crucial role for the BJP.

The plan would be a continuation of Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announcing ₹5,300 crore in the Union Budget 2023 for the Upper Bhadra Project.

The major lift irrigation scheme, which is under implementation, “envisages lifting upto 17.40 TMC of water in the first stage from Tunga to Bhadra and lifting 29.90 TMC of water in the second stage from Bhadra to Tunnel near Ajjampura, in Tungabhadra sub-basin of Krishna basin,” according to the project plan.

The areas coming under the project, central Karnataka, are of great interest to the BJP, party leaders said.

The Upper Bhadra project covers the drought-prone areas in the districts of Chikmagalur, Chitradurga, Tumakuru and Davangere.

The four districts comprise 29 of Karnataka’s total 224 assembly seats and are important for the party as both Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) have a strong presence in most of them.

Davanagere has eight constituencies and six BJP MLAs. Tumakuru has three BJP MLAs, four of JD(S) and one from Congress MLA. Chitradruga has six BJP and two Congress MLAs.

Udupi- Chikmagalur has eight constituencies: seven with BJP and one with Congress. Three other constituencies which will benefit from the project are Mudigere, Chikmagalur and Tarikere, all of which are represented by the BJP.

However, the party is facing a challenge in Bengaluru and Kalyana Karnataka region, where the lack of development work has been a challenge for the party to retain seats, people close to the development said.

With barely five months to go before the elections, the BJP government’s position in these regions and the opposition parties tightening the screws, Bommai is trying to gain any momentum ahead of the elections, they added.

In the central Karnataka region, Veerashaivas Lingayats are the dominant community in central Karnataka, who have voted for the BJP in the past.

At the same time, Scheduled Castes (SC)s, besides other backward communities, also have a significant presence, which is Congress and JD(S) support group.

As the project helps the drought-affected areas, the party is hoping this would help them consolidate the existing seats and gain more from the Opposition, BJP leaders said.

In the recent past, the Lingayat community has been having a problem with the BJP government over its policy decisions, particularly over reservation issues.

“The announcement of the project will catch the eyeballs of the Lingayat community here, and it would provide the BJP a way to approach this currently disgruntled vote bank,” said A Narayana, a political analyst.

“Instead of announcing multiple small projects, the government has announced large projects which provide good optics for the government. This has been done so that there are talking points for the party to approach the Lingayat and ST communities,” Narayana stated.

Meanwhile, the Opposition claimed that the announcement for the Bhadra project was just an eyewash.

“ ₹5,300 crore given to the upper Bhadra project. But there is no notification for the project, which means no money can be spent on this project.

“Bommai and others have claimed it would be made a national project, but there is no mention of that in the budget. The state in effect gets nothing,” said Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah.