Bengaluru: The proposal for a second airport in Bengaluru is exacerbating existing tensions within the ruling Congress party in Karnataka, as loyalists of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah have leveraged the issue to attack Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, according to people familiar with the developments.
They also say escalating demands and competing claims around the second airport are a reflection of the deepening rift and ongoing power tussle between the state’s top leaders.
“The airport issue or any other … they (Siddaramaiah’s loyalists) are trying to target D.K. (Shivakumar). In any way possible, this group is trying to push him out of the CM’s race. If Siddaramaiah was going to complete a full five-year term, why would these people (loyalists) target Shivakumar. This is proof that there is a power-sharing agreement between the two,” one person close to the deputy chief minister, who wished not to be named, told ThePrint.
A group of legislators, led by Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara, is lobbying for the second airport to be built along the Nelamangala-Kunigal Highway, which lies close to his Koratagere constituency in north Bengaluru.
In contrast, Shivakumar is pushing for the second airport to be located near Kanakapura in south Bengaluru—a proposal that offers dual benefits: it would obstruct the development of Hosur airport in Tamil Nadu, and provide easier international access to residents of southern Bengaluru and neighbouring districts.
Adding further complexity to the issue is senior Congress leader T.B. Jayachandra, who has garnered the support of at least 40 legislators, cutting across party lines, to demand that the airport be built in Tumkur’s Sira, located around 122 kilometres from Bengaluru.
“The government intends to finalise the airport location based on specific requirements of Bengaluru, and final decision will be taken based on the report and recommendations from AAI,” M.B. Patil, the state’s industries minister, said in a statement Tuesday.
A central team from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) visited two sites in southern Bengaluru Tuesday and inspected the third shortlisted location Wednesday.
The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government has faced multiple internal challenges, including the power struggle between the chief minister and Shivakumar, mounting corruption allegations, inflation linked to funding its guarantee schemes, and even some senior ministers levelling serious accusations against fellow cabinet members.
With Jayachandra entering the fray, there are now at least three influential camps pushing for the airport to be built near their constituencies. The state government is also racing to finalise the location before Tamil Nadu moves ahead with its plan to construct an airport in Hosur, which lies just 40 kilometres from southern Bengaluru.
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All about the location
In the mid-1990s, the then chief minister H.D. Deve Gowda approved the construction of a new airport for Bengaluru at Devanahalli. At the time, there was also intense lobbying to change the location. His son, H.D. Kumaraswamy, who was then entering politics as an MP from Kanakapura, lobbied to have the airport shifted to his constituency.
However, feasibility studies and other technical considerations led to the decision to build the airport at Devanahalli, where it began commercial operations in 2008.
Now, once again, some Congress leaders are questioning why southern Bengaluru is being considered, given that it was previously rejected.
Patil clarified that Bidadi—approximately 40 kilometres south of Bengaluru—is not in contention, as Shivakumar has already planned a ‘Greater Bidadi’ layout in that area.
Parameshwara, the home minister and MLA from Tumkur, continues to advocate for the airport to be located along the Nelamangala-Kunigal Highway, which passes through his constituency.
“Earlier when the technical team came (late 1990s), they mentioned that an airport cannot be built in Bidadi. That’s why we went to Devenahalli. Now we don’t know whether they will give their nod to this,” Parameshwara told reporters Tuesday.
It was not immediately clear whether Parameshwara had signed the petition, led by Jayachandra, advocating for the airport to be constructed in Sira.
Jayachandra, meanwhile, has put forward his case for the second airport to be located in Tumkur’s Sira. “By 2050, the population of Bengaluru will exceed three crore and the city will extend up to Sira, which is ideal for a second airport,” Jayachandra, the Sira MLA, told Deccan Herald.
ThePrint reached Jayachandra for a comment via phone. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
‘Siddaramaiah vs Shivakumar’
During the budget session of the Karnataka legislature last month, Cooperation Minister K.N. Rajanna stated on the floor of the House that there were attempts to honey-trap him.
The principal opposition and former Congress leaders like Ramesh Jarkiholi pointed fingers at Shivakumar, branding the deputy chief minister as the ‘CD factory’ and making other derogatory remarks. “Rajanna has been pulled up for making such statements on the floor of the house with the help of the opposition. He has not even filed a complaint and made statements that have brought the image of the government down,” Jarkiholi said.
Several Congress leaders from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities—including Rajanna, Satish Jarkiholi, Parameshwara and H.C. Mahadevappa—have been holding regular meetings to counter Shivakumar’s bid to succeed Siddaramaiah as CM.
The airport issue, sources say, is likely to become yet another flashpoint in this ongoing power struggle.
Although Shivakumar has publicly maintained that he will not interfere in the decision-making process, those aware of the developments say he is strongly advocating for the airport to be built in southern Bengaluru.
A senior government official, who wished not to be named, told ThePrint that Shivakumar is arguing Bengaluru’s business will shift to Hosur if Tamil Nadu’s airport plan proceeds, given that Electronic City lies just 40 kilometres from Hosur. Major firms like Infosys and Wipro would find it easier to access Hosur than travel across the city to Kempegowda International Airport. Sources close to Shivakumar say the deputy chief minister is not troubled by the controversies and is in fact ‘relishing’ the publicity—positive or negative.
One source in the Karnataka government observed that Shivakumar benefitted from the attention following his Parliament remarks on the Constitution. “Even the airport issue will only help him remain in the spotlight,” the senior official said.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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