Won’t abandon call for North K’taka state: MLA
Congress MLA Raju Kage advocates for North Karnataka statehood, citing chronic underdevelopment and funding disparities, insisting on his unwavering stance.
Congress MLA Raju Kage on Thursday reignited the call for statehood for North Karnataka, using a debate in the Assembly on regional development to argue that persistent neglect had pushed him to take a position he said he would not abandon, even if every legislator and Kannada organisation stood against him.
Kage told the House that his demand came from frustration with what he described as chronic underdevelopment in his constituency.
He said poverty was so widespread that many residents had never visited Bengaluru because they could not afford the trip. Speaking openly about local hardships, he said he often faced criticism for raising these concerns.
“If I say these things in open, then I am accused of speaking against the government. If I keep quiet, then the sufferings of my constituency and my people will continue as our problems do not get a solution,” he said, urging members to avoid interpreting his remarks through a political lens.
Pointing to the legal status of Kagwad, which was declared a taluk in 2017, Kage noted that the administrative office still operates from a rented building. He questioned why the constituency received only ₹8.60 crore under the Praja Soudha project for an office complex while Kaduru in Chikkamagaluru was allotted ₹16 crore.
He cited other examples to argue that the region was falling behind. “In the cabinet meeting on September 25, ₹16 crore was sanctioned for a drinking water project in Kadur taluk (Chikkamagaluru district). Why was a similar increase not made for my Kagwad taluka? I am unable to understand this system,” he said.
His comments drew applause from BJP legislators seated in the opposition.
Kage asked them to stop, concerned that it would fuel perceptions that he was attacking his own party. “It will appear on TV that Raju Kage spoke against the government. I am not speaking for or against the government; I am only raising issues concerning our region,” he said.
BJP MLAs replied that their support was for his candour, saying a ruling party member’s struggles over development funds highlighted how much more difficult it was for the opposition to secure resources.
Kage pressed for equal funding and questioned the disparity between Kadur and Kagwad. “Why this discrimination? What sin have the people of North Karnataka committed? This is why we are demanding a separate state,” he said. H
e declared that no amount of opposition would deter him. “Even if everyone opposes it -- 224 MLAs or any number of organisations — I will continue to fight for a separate state. Whether I am alive or dead, I will pursue this demand until my last breath.”
As he spoke, he accused the state of failing to treat North Karnataka fairly.
“Whom should we turn to?” he asked, describing years of appeals for balanced development.
The issue of regional disparity, especially between the northern districts and the rest of the state, has surfaced repeatedly in Karnataka politics.
Several leaders and organisations have demanded structural solutions, including statehood. Among them was former minister Umesh Katti, who often pressed for carving out a separate North Karnataka, saying the region faced discrimination and administrative neglect.
