CM Siddaramaiah defends Kogilu layout demolitions as Pinarayi Vijayan turns Bengaluru action into election weapon

From displaced families on Bengaluru’s streets to a full-blown political face-off within the INDIA alliance, the Kogilu Layout eviction has crossed state borders and entered Kerala’s election battlefield.

What began as an administrative eviction drive in Bengaluru’s Yelahanka has now snowballed into a politically charged controversy stretching from Karnataka to Kerala, exposing deep cracks within the INDIA alliance.

Over 200 houses at Kogilu Layout were demolished by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), leaving several families homeless and protesting on the streets, demanding justice. While authorities insist the action was legal, the human cost of the eviction has now become the centre of a wider political war.

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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan seized the moment, branding the Kogilu demolitions as an example of “Uttar Pradesh-style bulldozer politics” allegedly being followed in Karnataka. His remarks directly targeted the Congress, accusing it of endorsing such actions while projecting itself as a protector of the marginalised. The statement has rattled the Karnataka Congress and triggered sharp reactions within the opposition bloc.

The timing of Pinarayi’s attack is significant. With Kerala heading into Assembly elections in four to five months, the CPM-led Left government, facing setbacks in local body elections, has found a fresh political weapon. The narrative of the “Karnataka Model” has been circulating in Kerala for nearly two years, often used to criticise Congress governance. The Kogilu Layout episode appears to have given that campaign renewed momentum.

Escalating matters further, a delegation of Kerala MPs visited the eviction site in Bengaluru soon after Pinarayi’s social media post, collecting ground-level details and reinforcing the political message back home.

In response, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, speaking in Delhi, defended the government, stating that prior notices were issued and alternative arrangements were suggested to the residents. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar dismissed the bulldozer analogy, saying such comparisons were made without understanding facts and stressing that no “bulldozer policy” was followed.

ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಯಲಹಂಕ ಸಮೀಪದ ಕೋಗಿಲು ಬಡಾವಣೆಯ ತ್ಯಾಜ್ಯ ವಿಲೇವಾರಿ ಸ್ಥಳದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಲವರು ಅತಿಕ್ರಮವಾಗಿ ಗುಡಿಸಲು ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದರು, ಅದು ಜನ ವಸತಿಗೆ ಯೋಗ್ಯವಾದ ಸ್ಥಳವಾಗಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ಕುಟುಂಬಗಳಿಗೆ ಹಲವು ಬಾರಿ ಬೇರೆಡೆಗೆ ಸ್ಥಳಾಂತರ ಆಗುವಂತೆ ನೋಟೀಸ್ ನೀಡಿದ್ದರೂ ಅವರು ಸ್ಪಂದಿಸಿಲ್ಲ. ಈ ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅನಿವಾರ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಅವರನ್ನು ಆ… pic.twitter.com/yNdulRiWJ4

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) December 27, 2025

Adding another layer, Minister Priyank Kharge countered the allegations by pointing to the legal framework behind the eviction, while also flagging the election-driven motives behind Kerala’s political offensive. Sources indicate that D.K. Shivakumar has submitted a detailed report to AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, explaining that the demolition was carried out strictly within legal provisions.

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At the heart of this political clash are displaced families, whose plight has now been overshadowed by cross-border political posturing. What is essentially a civic and humanitarian crisis has turned into a strategic tool in Kerala’s election narrative and a point of friction between Congress and the Left.