Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok alleged on Saturday that the Congress government awarded a 30-year contract for Bengaluru’s solid waste management project despite having roughly one-and-a-half years left in office, raising concerns about possible corruption. Speaking at an event organized by Kayaka Samudayagala Okkoota to honor BJP MLC Raghu Kautilya, Mr. Ashok said several large tenders were being granted for unusually long durations given the government’s remaining term. He also criticized the proposed Bidadi Township Project, claiming it aimed to displace thousands of farmers from fertile land against their will. The project has a 15-year timeline, he noted, questioning why the government was advancing such long-term initiatives with limited time left. Mr. Ashok warned that plans to acquire nearly 60,000 acres of farmland through the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board for housing and industry would strip farmers of their livelihoods. He stated that the Congress government must leave office or farmers would lose cultivable land. State BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra said the BJP, not Congress, had truly supported AHINDA communities. He accused Congress of failing to protect backward classes and Kayaka groups after gaining power in their name. Mr. Vijayendra claimed the BJP holds greater responsibility for delivering justice to these communities and accused Congress of making unfounded claims against Prime Minister Narendra Modi due to his background. He added that Congress had ruled for decades without aiding Kayaka communities and instead fostered divisions, while diverting funds meant for Scheduled Castes and Tribes in Karnataka to Telangana before the last Lok Sabha polls.
