DAKSHINA KANNADA: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Dakshina Kannada district unit plans to organise padayatras and protests at around 250 locations across the district by November 15, 2026, accusing the Congress-led Karnataka government of failing to address public grievances.
The campaign, titled ‘Namma Hakkigagi Namma Hejje’ (Our Steps for Our Rights), will include demonstrations in front of gram panchayats and urban local bodies. BJP district president Sathish Kumpala announced the programme on October 24, saying the party intends to highlight issues affecting residents across the district.
Padayatra planned from Kavoor to MCC office
As part of the campaign, the BJP will organise a padayatra from Kavoor to the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) office in Lalbagh. Similar padayatras and protests are planned in all MCC wards, with programmes scheduled at approximately 250 locations across Dakshina Kannada before November 15.
Kumpala alleged that people were facing delays in accessing government services and benefits. He claimed that eligible beneficiaries were not receiving social security pensions on time and that residents were experiencing difficulties obtaining property-related documents, including Forms 9/11 and 9/11B, 11E sketches and single-site approvals.
He also alleged that people were unable to obtain Below Poverty Line (BPL) ration cards and that farmers were not receiving adequate compensation under crop insurance schemes.
BJP raises housing and elephant menace issues
The district BJP president accused the state government of failing to provide houses and residential sites to poor families over the past three years. He also raised concerns about the wild elephant menace in Dakshina Kannada, alleging that the government had not taken adequate steps to address the problem.
The party said the planned demonstrations would focus on these and other public grievances. The allegations reflect the BJP’s position, and the government’s response to the claims was not included in the report.
‘Prajatantra Bachao’ campaign planned before November 5
Kumpala also announced that the BJP would conduct a separate awareness campaign under the banner ‘Prajatantra Bachao’ (Save Democracy) in Dakshina Kannada before November 5. The campaign is part of a wider programme directed by the party’s national leadership.
Yuva Samvada programmes and interactions with intellectuals are also planned as part of the initiative, which is expected to focus on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and related political issues.
Responding to allegations of vote theft, Kumpala argued that Congress would not have won power in Karnataka and Kerala if the claims were true. He said the BJP was prepared to face elections at any time when asked whether the protests were linked to the forthcoming zilla panchayat, taluk panchayat and gram panchayat elections.
He maintained that the campaign was intended to oppose what the party describes as anti-people policies and bring public concerns to the forefront.
BJP seeks probe into alleged sting operation
Kumpala also commented on an alleged sting operation involving a woman from Dakshina Kannada. Referring to Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah’s reported claim that the operation was aimed at securing a ticket for the Puttur Assembly constituency, Kumpala said the matter raised questions that required further investigation.
He demanded a comprehensive probe to establish the facts surrounding the alleged operation. He also called for investigators to examine whether similar operations had taken place during the distribution of party tickets in other Assembly constituencies in Dakshina Kannada.
The BJP’s planned protests and awareness programmes are expected to continue through the first half of November, with the district unit aiming to take its campaign to local bodies and communities across the region.