Padayatras emerge as battleground in Karnataka politics

Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar at the padayatra to mark one year of Bharat Jodo Yatra. | Photo Credit: File photo The Congress’s decision to launch its ‘Bharat Jodo 2.0’ programme on September 30, more than 18 months ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections and amidst severe drought, apparently marks a new phase in Karnataka’s increasingly street-centred political contest. The Congress and the Opposition BJP and JD(S) are seeking to mobilise their respective support bases through rallies, padayatras, and public meetings.The competition among the three major parties is not merely about taking their campaigns to the people. It is also about shaping the political narrative, demonstrating organisational strength and establishing a presence ahead of the next electoral battles, including the rural local body polls scheduled for the year-end.Tangible consequencesRecent political campaigns have had tangible consequences. The BJP’s ‘Ballari Chalo’ agitation led to the resignation of B. Nagendra from the Cabinet, in fact even before the march began. The BJP-JD(S) joint padayatra to Mysuru, targeting the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, was followed by the surrender of sites by Parvathi, wife of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The JD(S) youth wing’s padayatra to Bidadi, led by its president Nikhil Kumaraswamy, also appeared to stall the progress of the proposed township project.For the Congress, Bharat Jodo 2.0 is an attempt to defend its governance record while expanding its political presence in 84 constituencies it lost in the 2023 Assembly elections. The march will also offer the party an opportunity to assess public perceptions of its government, particularly the implementation of its guarantee schemes and other poll promises.From ShikaripuraKPCC chief B.K. Hariprasad, who was reportedly upset with Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar over not being invited to the government’s 100-day celebration at the Secretariat, is leading the 10-km padayatra in each of the 84 constituencies. The march will begin in Shikaripura, the constituency represented by BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra and the home turf of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa. The choice of the starting point is symbolically significant, taking the Congress directly into the political territory of a prominent BJP leader.The Congress is expected to use the march to highlight what it describes as the Centre’s faulty policies, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, unemployment, and the alleged “step-motherly” treatment meted out to Karnataka in the allocation of funds for undertaking drought relief measures.The BJP and JD(S), however, have questioned the need for a State-wide march by the ruling party at a time when the State is facing severe drought. The two parties have also been using public demonstrations and padayatras to target the Congress government over governance, corruption allegations and what they describe as the State's financial distress.Question of coordinationFor the BJP and JD(S), the challenge is to sustain pressure on the Congress government while maintaining coordination between the two parties. Their campaigns provide a platform to mobilise supporters and keep allegations against the government in public view.Mr. Siddaramaiah’s padayatra in 2010 from Bengaluru to Ballari set the tone for the 2013 Assembly elections and capitulated the party to power. It will be interesting to watch which party’s padayatra set the tone for the 2028 Assembly elections. Published - September 29, 2026 07:54 pm IST