BJP opposes Bengaluru's second airport in CM's constituency, bats for Tumakuru
The political tussle over the proposed second international airport for Bengaluru intensified on Friday, with Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra writing an open letter to
The political tussle over the proposed second international airport for Bengaluru intensified on Friday, with Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra writing an open letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah opposing reports that the project could come up in Kanakapura and urging the government to instead consider Tumakuru. In the letter, Vijayendra argued that the location of Karnataka's next international airport would shape the state's economic trajectory for decades and should be guided by the larger goal of balanced regional development rather than political considerations. Read Full Story While welcoming the government's plan to build a second airport to ease pressure on Kempegowda International Airport, the BJP leader questioned reports suggesting that Kanakapura -- Siddaramaiah's Assembly constituency -- was being considered for the project. "The location of Karnataka's next international airport is not merely a decision about land, infrastructure or air connectivity. It is a decision about which regions will receive new industries, investments, employment opportunities and urban growth," Vijayendra said. He argued that another major infrastructure project close to Bengaluru would only worsen the city's existing challenges, including traffic congestion, population pressure, water shortages and environmental stress.
Instead, Vijayendra proposed Tumakuru as a more suitable location, saying it was strategically positioned, well connected by road and rail, and had the potential to become an industrial hub serving central and north Karnataka. According to him, locating the airport in Tumakuru would help attract investment, generate employment and reduce the state's heavy dependence on Bengaluru as its primary growth engine. The BJP leader cited examples from states such as Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, saying they had successfully developed multiple urban and industrial centres instead of concentrating growth around a single city. Karnataka, he said, had failed to unlock the potential of cities such as Hubballi-Dharwad, Ballari, Kalaburagi, Davanagere, Shivamogga and Tumakuru, forcing people to migrate to Bengaluru for jobs and education. Drawing parallels with past infrastructure decisions, Vijayendra said the benefits of Kempegowda International Airport had remained concentrated around Bengaluru. Had the airport been built in the Tumakuru region, he argued, it could have accelerated industrial growth across central and north Karnataka while easing pressure on the capital. He also questioned the suitability of Kanakapura, saying its location on the southern edge of the state would benefit only a limited region.
The BriefWire