Ballari: The BJP has stepped up its political campaign against the ruling Congress government in Karnataka after concluding its 10-day Ballari Chalo padayatra, with State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra calling on party workers to work towards bringing the NDA to power in the 2028 Assembly elections.

The concluding event was held at the Municipal College Grounds in Ballari city, where Vijayendra addressed a large gathering of BJP workers and supporters. He urged party workers to pledge themselves to defeating the Congress in the next Assembly polls.

Vijayendra targets Congress government

Vijayendra accused the Congress government of allowing development to suffer while its leaders remained involved in internal political differences. He also raised concerns over drought, weak monsoon conditions and crop losses, claiming that farmers were facing severe distress.

The BJP leader demanded that the State Government consider a farm loan waiver to provide relief to farmers affected by the current situation. He also criticised the government’s handling of development issues and called for stronger measures to address the problems faced by rural communities.

The BJP’s allegations come against the backdrop of its broader campaign in North Karnataka, where the party has been highlighting drought, farmer distress, alleged corruption and welfare-related issues as part of its opposition strategy.

Demand for SCSP-TSP white paper

A key demand raised by Vijayendra was the publication of a white paper on the utilisation of funds under the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP).

He also demanded that the government allocate funds for the development of all 224 Assembly constituencies in Karnataka, arguing that development should not be concentrated in selected areas.

The demand forms part of the BJP’s wider criticism of the Congress government’s handling of welfare and development funds. During the Ballari Chalo campaign, BJP leaders had repeatedly raised allegations concerning the use of funds intended for marginalised communities.

North Karnataka development becomes key issue

Vijayendra also accused Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar of neglecting North Karnataka. He particularly criticised the government’s focus on projects such as the proposed Bidadi Township and Bengaluru’s Tunnel Road project.

The BJP has been using the Ballari Chalo campaign to argue that greater attention should be given to drought-hit areas, farmers and development needs in North Karnataka.

The 10-day padayatra began from the Lingasugur area in Raichur district and passed through parts of the Kalyana Karnataka region before concluding in Ballari. The BJP had initially positioned the march as a campaign against alleged corruption and maladministration under the Congress government.

BJP says campaign will continue

Although the Ballari Chalo padayatra has ended, Vijayendra said the BJP’s political fight against what it describes as the anti-people policies of the Congress government would continue.

Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa described the padayatra as a precursor to political change in Karnataka. He said he would continue visiting different parts of the State to strengthen the party’s organisational efforts and work towards bringing the BJP back to power.

The concluding event was attended by several senior BJP leaders, including Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka, former Chief Ministers Basavaraj Bommai and D.V. Sadananda Gowda, BJP Karnataka in-charge Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, MLA G. Janardhan Reddy, former Minister B. Sriramulu and MLCs C.T. Ravi and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy.

BJP prepares for longer political battle

The Ballari Chalo campaign marks an early attempt by the BJP to build sustained political momentum ahead of the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections. The party has indicated that its campaign will not be limited to a single padayatra and will continue through programmes aimed at reaching voters across the State.

BJP leaders have raised several issues during the campaign, including drought management, farmer distress, welfare fund utilisation, alleged corruption and development disparities. Vijayendra has also said the party will continue travelling across Karnataka to understand public grievances and strengthen its campaign.

The BJP’s next challenge will be to convert the momentum generated by the Ballari Chalo campaign into sustained organisational activity over the coming months. With the 2028 Assembly election still some distance away, both the ruling Congress and Opposition BJP are likely to intensify their efforts to shape the political narrative in Karnataka.

Conclusion

The conclusion of Ballari Chalo has marked a significant escalation in the BJP’s campaign against the Karnataka Congress government. Vijayendra’s call to defeat Congress in 2028, coupled with demands on farmer relief, SCSP-TSP funds and North Karnataka development, signals that the BJP intends to maintain pressure on the ruling party well beyond the 10-day padayatra.