Koppal BJP plans series of protests against state govt policies

Koppal: BJP plans to conduct a series of protests against the state govt, asserting that it failed to address the needs of Koppal and is pushing forward projects that are of least interest to the local population.
The BJP district unit significantly strengthened its position to challenge govt after the Invest Karnataka 2025 summit, which was held in Bengaluru on Feb 11.
Social activist SA Gafar said, "The endorsement of the Baldota Group's BSPL factory, which will generate 3.5 crore metric tonnes of steel each year with an investment of Rs 54,000 crore in Halavarthi village has become a major point of contention, leading to considerable unrest in the district."
Residents are furious about the announcement, given that they are already suffering from pollution caused by 20 medium and large-scale industries, including sponge iron and steel manufacturing facilities. As a result, the Koppal bandh on Feb 24, which was organised without any political ties, received considerable backing, as noted by Ganesh Horatatnal, district president of BJP ST Morcha.
BJP state executive member Basavaraj Kyavater asserts, "It has become evident that Congress MLAs and ministers are facilitating the establishment of the BSPL factory, which is why the BJP opposes this initiative."
Since the announcement of the 2025-26 state budget, which omitted significant projects and funding for Koppal, public frustration against the state govt escalated. Additionally, the promised allocation of Rs 100 crore for the development of Anjanadri Hill, the birthplace of Lord Hanuman, was not realised for two years in a row.
"There is little doubt that this latest promise will follow the same pattern as previous ones. Additionally, a proposal has been made to secure the necessary funding for this project from KKRDB. The BJP strongly opposes this," adds Kyavater.
Following the monsoon damage to the Tungabhadra dam's 19th crest gate, experts recommended replacing all 33 gates. The budget's failure to allocate funds disappointed Gangavathi MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy. "There is a growing non-partisan backlash against this governmental neglect, and we will soon hold a protest to highlight this issue," stated Janardhana Reddy.
The BJP is set to confront multiple issues in the district, which include the closure of Koppal University, inadequate funding for railway projects, insufficient support for Asia's largest Aequs Toy Cluster located in Kukanur, the absence of funding for Karatagi's Rice Tech Park, and a shortfall in road infrastructure financing.
The issue of pollution is still the leading concern, and the Congress MLAs' inaction during the recent legislative session amplified public frustration. The BJP plans to capitalise on this discontent by organising protests against govt and is in the process of planning a series of demonstrations.