Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s remark in the Legislative Assembly that around a dozen MLAs have “two marriages” has triggered a political controversy, with BJP leaders demanding that he disclose the names of the legislators he was referring to.

Shivakumar made the remark on Thursday evening while replying to a debate on the drought situation in the Assembly. During his response, he shifted to the issue of increasing urbanisation and Bengaluru’s growing population.

The Chief Minister linked the city’s growth to the tendency of people who move to Bengaluru for work and other opportunities to settle in the city rather than return to their native places.

Shivakumar links Bengaluru growth to migration

While speaking about Bengaluru’s development, Shivakumar referred to the contributions of former leaders to the city.

“Kempegowda built Bengaluru. Kengal Hanumanthaiah built Vidhana Soudha. S M Krishna made Bengaluru an international city. Whoever comes to the city doesn’t leave,” he said.

He then turned to legislators who come to Bengaluru from other parts of Karnataka.

“Even you (MLAs) who come here don’t leave. All those who come to the city have two marriages. There’re a dozen like that. I can give you the list,” Shivakumar said.

He added that he could speak about legislators from districts including Dharwad and Dakshina Kannada but did not want to identify them.

Shivakumar also said lawyers who move to Bengaluru generally do not return to their places of origin.

“That’s why the city’s population is like this,” he said, referring to the increase in the State’s urban population from 33% to 47%.

BJP seeks names of MLAs

The remark drew a response from BJP leaders, who questioned Shivakumar’s decision to make the statement on the floor of the Assembly.

Senior BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar said he was not present when Shivakumar delivered his reply and suggested that the Chief Minister may have made the comment in a lighter vein.

However, he said such a statement from the Assembly did not add to the dignity of the House.

Suresh Kumar also said Shivakumar should disclose the names of the legislators to whom he was referring.

He argued that the remark had created curiosity among members of the public and could result in legislators being subjected to speculation or ridicule.

Suresh Kumar questions Assembly remark

Suresh Kumar said he would have responded immediately had he been present in the Assembly when Shivakumar made the statement.

He also questioned whether the government would provide information about the State’s financial position while asking the Chief Minister to clarify his remark about legislators.

“Please disclose the names of the legislators who’ve two marriages and maintain two households,” he said.

According to Suresh Kumar, failing to clarify the statement could lead to people forming assumptions about legislators who have moved to Bengaluru from other parts of the State.

The BJP leader’s response has added a political dimension to what Shivakumar presented as an aside while discussing Bengaluru’s urbanisation and population growth.

R Ashoka asks Shivakumar to name legislators

Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka also asked Shivakumar to disclose the names of the MLAs he had referred to.

“This was an unnecessary statement,” Ashoka said.

He argued that the comment had created uncertainty for legislators who had moved to Bengaluru from other parts of Karnataka.

Ashoka also clarified that Shivakumar’s reference was to lawmakers who were not originally from Bengaluru. “I’m born and raised in Bengaluru,” he said.

The BJP leaders’ demand for clarification comes after the Chief Minister himself said he could provide a list of the legislators he was referring to.

Remark comes during drought debate

Shivakumar made the comments while presenting the government’s response to the Assembly debate on the drought situation.

The reference to legislators and their families came during a broader discussion about Bengaluru’s urban expansion and the pressure created by increasing population.

His comments connected the growth of Bengaluru with the movement of people from other districts, including elected representatives and professionals such as lawyers.

The Chief Minister cited the rise in Karnataka’s urban population from 33% to 47% as part of his argument about the scale of urbanisation.

The “two marriages” remark, however, quickly became the focus of political reactions after the Assembly proceedings.

Political controversy grows over comment

The BJP’s response has shifted attention from the broader discussion on urbanisation to the personal reference made by the Chief Minister.

While Suresh Kumar said Shivakumar may have made the comment in a lighter vein, he questioned its appropriateness in the Legislative Assembly. Ashoka, meanwhile, described it as unnecessary and called on Shivakumar to identify the legislators he had mentioned.

Shivakumar has not, in the remarks cited, publicly named the alleged legislators.

The controversy therefore remains centred on his claim that around a dozen MLAs who came to Bengaluru from other parts of the State have “two marriages”, and the subsequent demand from BJP leaders for clarification.