B.Y. Vijayendra, the State unit president for the BJP, has publicly joined sugarcane farmers in Karnataka’s Belagavi district who are currently protesting for increased prices for their harvest. His presence at Gurlapur Cross on November 4 marked a significant moment in the ongoing agitation.
The protest quickly escalated, with farmers blocking traffic on the Daroor bridge and staging a sit-in on the crucial Nippani-Mudhol road for several hours, bringing movement to a standstill. This direct action was accompanied by calls for a ‘bandh’ (strike) across Chikkodi, Athani, and Mudalagi. As a result, bus services were suspended in Chikkodi and neighboring areas, and numerous private offices, schools, and colleges closed their doors in solidarity or due to the disruption.
“Senior ministers are busy in power play. They are waiting to become the CM. The CM, in turn, is trying to protect his position. Farmers have been on the streets for 4-5 days now, but the leaders are not coming forward to listen to their woes.”
Chunappa Pujari, a prominent farmer leader, passionately appealed for support from opposition figures and religious leaders from various ‘mutts’. He expressed deep frustration, stating, “We have been protesting for five days now. But no minister or Congress MLA, especially those who own or manage sugar factories, has bothered to meet us. These leaders only show up for legislative or cooperative society elections. We will no longer tolerate such apathy. Farmers will teach a harsh lesson to those who neglect our plight.”
Pujari highlighted that only leaders without direct stakes in sugar factories, such as MPs Jagadish Shettar, P. C. Gaddigoudar, and Iranna Kadadi, along with MLAs Duryodhan Aiholi and Siddu Savadi, and former MLA V. I. Patil, had extended their support. He pointedly noted the absence of other prominent leaders who are also sugar factory owners.
Before arriving at Gurlapur, Mr. Vijayendra conveyed his profound disappointment to reporters in Belagavi regarding the Karnataka government’s alleged indifference towards farmers’ struggles. He reiterated his earlier criticism: “Senior ministers are busy in power play. They are waiting to become the CM. The CM, in turn, is trying to protect his position. Farmers have been on the streets for 4-5 days now, but the leaders are not coming forward to listen to their woes. The State Government should be ashamed of itself.”
Drawing a comparison to his father’s legacy, Mr. Vijayendra stated, “I am the son of former CM B. S. Yediyurappa, who spent his life agitating for farmers. I have not come here as president of the opposition party, but as the son of Mr. Yediyurappa, whose heart beats for farmers.” He recalled the tragic 2014 winter session in Belagavi, where farmer Vitthal Arabhavi died during a sugarcane protest. He lamented that today, despite farmers facing similar hardships, the current government remains unconcerned.
Mr. Vijayendra emphasized the farmers’ core demand: a payment of ₹3,500 per tonne of sugarcane. He sharply criticized the state government for its failure to announce a fair price before the protests began, branding it an ‘anti-farmer government.’ He asserted that the BJP’s involvement was a necessary step due to the government’s untrustworthiness and inaction.
Official statistics reveal the significant economic contribution of sugarcane: Karnataka’s sugar factories process a massive six million tonnes of sugarcane each year, generating a substantial ₹55,000 crore in tax revenue for the state government.
He further alleged the government’s negligence, citing that even during times of severe hardship caused by heavy rains, no district in-charge ministers, nor the revenue or agriculture ministers, visited North Karnataka to assess the farmers’ suffering. “The government has no concern for farmers. That is why today the farmers are again taking to the streets to fight for better price for sugarcane,” he claimed.
Vijayendra urged the government to engage directly with the sugar factory owners, implicitly suggesting that many hold political influence. “You know who owns most of the sugar factories in Karnataka. The government should talk to the sugar factory owners to end the deadlock,” he stated.
In response to B. Sriramulu’s assertion that a new Chief Minister would preside over the winter session in Belagavi, Mr. Vijayendra dismissed it as common knowledge, noting that even Congress MLAs were hinting at such a possibility. He concluded, “Everyone knows that there is possibility of a change of leadership after the Bihar elections.”