One-man protest staged by Karnataka BJP MLA over neglect of flood-hit constituency

BJP MLA MP Kumaraswamy cut a lonely figure on Thursday, August 12, when he took the unusual step of staging a protest at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru all by himself, accusing the BJP-led Karnataka government of neglecting his flood-hit constituency of Mudigere in Chikkamagaluru district. MP Kumaraswamy asked that Mudigere be included under the flood relief disbursed through the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

Kumaraswamy sat in protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside the Vidhana Soudha along with a placard, asking new Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to release NDRF/SDRF funds for Mudigere as well as compensation for the families that incurred loss of crops, land and homes. Speaking to reporters in the Vidhana Soudha, MP Kumaraswamy said, "In 2019, there was a terrible flood. Six people were swept away in their homes and we took more than two weeks to locate their dead bodies. We made a request then that houses and coffee plantations have been swept away but we did not receive funds. There was a flood again in 2020 but still no compensation has come."

He added that places like Shivamogga are also prone to flooding but the families there have received compensation through the NDRF and SDRF. "When Shivamogga Urban comes under NDRF, why not Mudigere, which is a forest area in the Western Ghats that received 900 mm rainfall?," Kumaraswamy asked. The MLA's decision to highlight Shivamogga is seen as a reference to both former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister KS Eshwarappa, who are from Shivamogga district.

The BJP MLA even went as far as saying former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal (Secular) was more helpful. "He gave grants and even reached out to me when I made a request in 2018. But now, even though our own party is in power, we are neglected," he added. The monsoon season this year was the fourth year in a row that floods and landslides were reported in Karnataka.

Revenue Minister R Ashoka met Kumaraswamy at the Vidhana Soudha and assured reporters that the MLA's concerns will be looked into.

This is not the first set of hurdles that Basavaraj Bommai has faced since taking over as Chief Minister of Karnataka in July 2021. He has already had to pacify Tourism, Ecology and Environment Minister Anand Singh who threatened to quit his post as he was reportedly unhappy with his portfolio allocation.