BJP to boycott Cauvery all-party meeting unless State takes a stand against water release: Vijayendra

Published 31 July 2026 · politics

Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra on Friday slammed Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s decision to convene an all-party meeting on the Cauvery water dispute, declaring that

Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra on Friday slammed Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s decision to convene an all-party meeting on the Cauvery water dispute, declaring that the party would not participate unless the State government first took a clear stand against releasing water to Tamil Nadu. Addressing BJP workers during a protest outside the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoir in Mandya district, Mr. Vijayendra alleged that Karnataka had already released about 3.5 tmc ft of water even before Tamil Nadu had formally sought it. He questioned the rationale behind convening an all-party meeting only after the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water per day for 15 days to Tamil Nadu.

“The government did not call an all-party meeting when it was releasing water earlier,” he said, raising questions over the government’s decision to convene a meeting after the CWMA’s directions. Alleging that the meeting was intended more to protect the Chief Minister’s political position than the interests of farmers, Mr. Vijayendra challenged Mr. Shivakumar to publicly declare that Karnataka would not release water to Tamil Nadu. “Let the Chief Minister announce that he will stand by the farmers and refuse to release water, even if it costs him his Chair.

Only then will the BJP participate in the all-party meeting,” he said. Launching a broadside against the Congress government, Mr. Vijayendra accused it of mishandling the Cauvery issue and ignoring the concerns of farmers since assuming office. Despite early indications of a possible drought, the government failed to take timely measures to conserve water and instead remained preoccupied with internal political developments, resulting in the present crisis, he alleged. Vijayendra said Mr. Shivakumar, having previously served as both Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister, was fully aware of the complexities of the Cauvery dispute and should have acted more decisively.

He also criticised the Chief Minister for making repeated visits to New Delhi to meet the Congress high command while, according to him, failing to consult legal experts even once to effectively defend Karnataka’s interests before the Cauvery authorities.