JD(S) youth wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy has warned that farmers from across Karnataka could march to Bengaluru and lay siege to Vidhana Soudha unless the state government expedites relief for drought-hit crop losses and addresses demands for compensation and loan waivers.
Kumaraswamy issued the warning on Monday while speaking during the Raitha Swabhimana Yatre in Shivamogga Rural constituency. He accused the state government of showing apathy towards the agrarian crisis and said the JD(S) would continue its agitation until crop-loss compensation was fully disbursed and farm loans were waived.
According to the report, sowing had been targeted across nearly 55 lakh hectares, while severe rain deficits had damaged maize, ragi and groundnut crops. During the visit, Kumaraswamy inspected the fields of farmers Ismail and Ramesh, who were reported to have suffered total crop failure despite taking agricultural loans worth several lakhs of rupees.
The warning places Vidhana Soudha, Karnataka’s principal government complex in Bengaluru, at the centre of a proposed statewide mobilisation. No date or operational plan for the proposed march or siege was specified in the report. The immediate demands outlined by Kumaraswamy include compensation of Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per acre, faster joint crop-loss surveys and timely payments under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
He also called for fodder banks for livestock and state assistance to treat crop diseases such as leaf spot. These demands connect the drought response to several administrative stages: assessment of crop damage, verification through joint surveys, processing of crop insurance claims and delivery of relief to affected cultivators.
Kumaraswamy also referred to farmer suicides that he linked to rising debt and pressure from microfinance lenders, citing recent incidents in Kadur and neighbouring Chikkamagaluru district. The report did not provide official figures on farmer suicides, the number of affected households, the amount of compensation already released or the status of individual insurance claims.
The JD(S) leader said party teams, guided by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and Union minister HD Kumaraswamy, were visiting fields in all 31 districts. The field visits are being used by the party to document crop damage and press the state government over relief implementation.
The proposed mobilisation would bring a rural distress issue into Bengaluru’s administrative core. Its immediate significance will depend on whether the state government responds to the demands, whether joint surveys are completed, and whether the threatened march is formally scheduled. The report did not include a response from the Karnataka government or a confirmation from authorities regarding any planned protest at Vidhana Soudha.
