BMIC project threatens JD (S)-BJP coalition in Karnataka

Serious differences between the ruling alliance partners JD (S) and BJP over the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project have pushed the four-month-old coalition Government in Karnataka to the brink of a crisis.

With the BJP doggedly opposing a determined move by the JD (S) to take over the project Rs 22.5 billion BMIC project by bringing in a piece of legislation, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has threatened to resign from his post.

In view of the raging controversy over the BMIC project between the coalition partners, Kumaraswamy has publicly expressed his unwillingness to continue as Chief Minister if the BJP does not relent from its stand.

“I am not sure whether I will continue as the Chief Minister till the next fifteen days”, he said while participating in a public function in Kolar on Wednesday evening. “For me, it is not important whether I stay in office or not. What is important to me is service to the poor and downtrodden”, he said.

But, the BJP remains adamant on its stand against take over of the project by the Government. “Instead, we are in favour of the reclaiming the 2,400 acres of land deemed as excess allocation from the project promoters Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise”, Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa told reporters in Gulbarga.

The BMIC controversy assumed serious proportions ever since it became public that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy owned 46 acres of land in Ramanagaram in Bangalore rural district, which will fall under the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Area Planning Authority.

The BMIC project, which is the country’s first private road infrastructure project, envisages construction of a 111-km-long expressway between Bangalore and Mysore, besides five townships enroute.

The Opposition Congress has not only accused the JD (S) of conspiring to take over the project with malafide intentions, but also submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission for filing a false affidavit on his assets at the time of elections to the Legislative Assembly in 2004.

A delegation of Congress leaders led by former Chief Minister Dharam Singh met the Chief Electoral Officer in Bangalore and submitted a petition seeking action against Kumaraswamy on the issue.

“Though Kumaraswamy had declared ownership of only 24 acres at the time of submitting his nomination papers to fight the Assembly elections from Ramanagaram constituency, it has now come to light that he owns more than 40 acres”, Dharam Singh told reporters.