Jul 10, 2024 03:59 AM IST
The idea of renaming the district was initially floated by Shivakumar in October 2023.
Bengaluru: Ahead of the bypolls in Channapatna assembly constituency, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday submitted a proposed renaming Karnataka’s Ramanagara district to Bengaluru South district CM Siddaramaiah.
After the delegation of Ramanagara MLAs lead by Shivakumar, who also serves as the district’s in-charge minister, submitted the letter, the Congress leader said that he renaming aims to use the global reputation of Bengaluru to help the district.
“It is the aspiration of people and our plan that the global reputation, sovereignty and glory of Bengaluru should benefit Ramanagara, Magadi, Kanakapura, Channapatna and Harohalli taluks,” the petition stated.
The idea of renaming the district was initially floated by Shivakumar in October 2023. However, it has faced opposition, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) attributing the proposal to real estate motivations.
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This comes ahead of the bypoll in the Channapatna assembly constituency, which is a significant battleground for Shivakumar following setbacks in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Channapatna, located about 50 km from Bengaluru, was previously held by Kumaraswamy before his election to the Lok Sabha from Mandya. The upcoming bypoll has intensified the rivalry between the two Vokkaliga leaders.
Since the Lok Sabha election results, Shivakumar has made multiple visits to the Channapatna assembly segment, aiming to reclaim the seat for the Congress and strengthen his influence in this Vokkaliga-dominated region. His campaign promises have included integrating Channapatna more closely with Bengaluru.
Explaining the rationale behind the renaming, Shivakumar said, “Our objective is to extend the benefits of Bengaluru’s global reputation to Ramanagara, Magadi, Kanakapura, Channapatna, and Harohalli taluks, which are in close proximity to Bengaluru city. We propose renaming Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South district and making Ramanagara city the headquarters of the new district.”
Historically, several taluks, including Doddaballapura, Nelamangala, Yelahanka, Devanahalli, Anekal, Bengaluru South, Bengaluru East, Hosakote, Ramanagara, Magadi, Kanakapura, and Channapatna, were part of Bengaluru district. In 1986, Bengaluru Rural district was formed, and in 2007, Ramanagara district was created with Ramanagara as its headquarters.
Apart from Shivakumar, the petition has 13 signatories, including transport minister Ramalinga Reddy and former Bangalore Rural MP DK Suresh, Shivakumar’s brother.
Shivakumar said, “We all belong to the Bengaluru Urban district. For administrative purposes, Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban, and Ramanagara districts were carved out. Today, the whole world is looking at Bengaluru, and we want to benefit from it.”
“On one side, after Bengaluru, the state borders Andhra Pradesh. On the other side is Tamil Nadu. Hence, we are trying to save our identity and direct growth towards this region,” he said.
This move is also seen as a political statement by Shivakumar against HD Kumaraswamy, who originally created Ramanagara district during his tenure as CM. JD(S) has yet to issue an official response, with a spokesperson indicating that a detailed statement from Kumaraswamy will be released soon.
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