Mandya voters have petitioned Deputy Commissioner Kumara for free US visas to meet Melukote MLA Darshan Puttannaiah, using satire to protest what they described as his frequent overseas travel while the constituency faces drought and water-related problems.
According to the petitioners, Puttannaiah is currently in the United States and has travelled abroad 18 times since winning the May 2023 Assembly election. They said they were unable to meet their elected representative in the constituency and therefore wanted the district administration to facilitate their travel so they could present their grievances to him personally.
The protest brought the constituency’s water stress to the centre of the dispute. Locals alleged that Melukote was facing severe drought, with farmers struggling as several lakes and other water bodies dried up. They also questioned the MLA’s response to the difficulties faced by the farming community.
The petitioners accused Puttannaiah of failing to exert political pressure for the release of Hemavathi river water to the area. They also referred to the release of Cauvery water from the Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir to Tamil Nadu while alleging that local water concerns remained unresolved. The allegations were part of the protesters’ broader criticism of the MLA’s representation of constituency issues.
They further alleged that several urgent matters had not been effectively raised in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and criticised the delay in officially declaring Pandavapura taluk drought-hit. Such a declaration can determine how affected areas access drought-relief measures, although the report did not provide details of the administrative status of the process or any proposed timeline.
The protesters also questioned whether Puttannaiah had lived up to the activist legacy of his late father and former MLA, K.S. Puttannaiah. They argued that a legislator elected with farmers’ support should be more visible during a period of serious agricultural distress.
The petition reflects how water allocation, drought classification and access to elected representatives have become linked in the constituency’s public debate. It also places responsibility on multiple layers of administration, including the district authorities handling drought-related decisions and the elected representative expected to raise constituency concerns in the legislature.
The Times of India report did not include a response from Darshan Puttannaiah to the allegations or indicate whether the district administration had agreed to the voters’ request. The next formal steps will depend on the Deputy Commissioner’s response to the petition and on the administration’s decision regarding the drought status of Pandavapura taluk.