Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s affidavits from the last three assembly elections have brought to light discrepancies concerning a 3.16-acre agricultural land parcel in Mysore gifted to his wife, B M Parvati Siddaramaiah, 14 years ago, as reported by The Indian Express.
The land, bestowed upon her in 2010 by her brother, has sparked political controversy, with the BJP planning protests in Mysore, Siddaramaiah’s hometown, on July 12. They question its 2021 transfer to the state in exchange for 14 housing plots developed under Mysore Urban Development Authority’s contentious “50:50” alternate site scheme.
Discrepancies between Siddaramaiah’s affidavits for the Assembly elections in 2013, 2018, and 2023 and public land records reveal inconsistencies regarding the 3.16-acre agricultural land located in Kesare village of Kasaba Hobli, according to The Indian Express.
In 2013, Siddaramaiah’s affidavit, filed three years after the land was gifted, did not mention his wife’s ownership, despite records showing a gift deed from B M Mallikarjunaswamy to his sister, B M Parvati, in October 2010.
By 2018, the affidavit acknowledged his wife’s ownership of the land, valued at ₹25 lakh, noting it was a gift from her brother. By 2023, it detailed the allotment of 37,190.09 sq ft of land by MUDA in exchange for the Kesare village land, valued at ₹8.33 crore.
These discrepancies form the basis of a complaint filed by activist T J Abraham, alleging Siddaramaiah submitted a “false affidavit” in 2013.
Responding to the allegations, Siddaramaiah claimed he is being unfairly targeted, suggesting a conspiracy due to personal bias against him as a leader from a backward class community who has served as chief minister twice.
Regarding the controversy over MUDA’s allocation of housing plots on his wife’s land, Siddaramaiah argued that the allotment was made during BJP’s tenure and asserted his family’s entitlement to compensation under the land acquisition act.
Addressing a complaint filed with the Election Commission by activist T J Abraham, Siddaramaiah affirmed his readiness to respond appropriately if notified by the Commission, ensuring compliance with legal requirements.