BJP MLAs Basangouda Patil Yatnal and Ramesh Jarkiholi have sought approval from the central leadership to conduct a “parallel march” from Bengaluru, Mysuru till Ballari to highlight alleged financial irregularities in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd.
As the BJP gears up for a foot march over the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment scam to target the Congress government and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, two party leaders have voiced dissent, causing discomfort within the party.
BJP MLAs Basangouda Patil Yatnal and Ramesh Jarkiholi have sought approval from the central leadership to conduct a “parallel march” to highlight alleged financial irregularities in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd.
Both legislators have been openly critical of state party President B Y Vijayendra, accusing him of “adjustment politics” and attempting to control the party with his father, veteran leader B S Yediyurappa.
The opposition BJP and JD(S) have planned a foot march from Bengaluru to Mysuru from August 3 to 10 to protest the alleged fraudulent MUDA site allotments, including to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi, and demanding his resignation.
Yatnal and Jarkiholi propose a parallel march from Ballari to Bengaluru, focusing on financial irregularities in the state-run corporation, the MUDA scam, and alleged diversion of SC/ST funds to the government’s five guarantee schemes.
Yatnal alleged that Vijayendra’s protest against MUDA is to help D K Shivakumar replace Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister, accusing Vijayendra of organizing the march under Shivakumar’s influence.
The Valmiki Corporation scam involves significant misuse of funds meant for the ST community, Yatnal claimed. He stated that their fight against Congress corruption is without “adjustment politics.” Jarkiholi emphasized the importance of addressing the misuse of SC/ST funds and their collective leadership in the proposed march.
Jarkiholi called for the party to free itself from the influence of Yediyurappa and Vijayendra.
The financial irregularities in the state-run corporation came to light after accounts superintendent Chandrasekharan P died by suicide on May 26, leaving behind a note revealing the unauthorized transfer of Rs 187 crore. Rs 88.62 crore was illegally transferred to various accounts, including those of “well-known” IT companies and a Hyderabad-based cooperative bank.
Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister B Nagendra resigned on June 6 and is currently in judicial custody following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate, which is investigating the scam.
In the MUDA scam, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife in a prime Mysuru area, significantly increasing property value compared to her original land acquired by MUDA.
MUDA allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme, where 50 percent of developed land was given to land losers for undeveloped land acquired for residential layouts.
BJP leaders claim the MUDA scam involves Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore.
Some JD(S) leaders have expressed concerns to party leadership, including Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, about BJP potentially stealing the spotlight during the march in the old Mysuru region, a traditional JD(S) stronghold.
