Overview
- Bharamagouda (Raju) Kage wrote on November 4 to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking a separate state carved from 15 northern districts and sent copies to national and state leaders.
- His proposal lists Bidar, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Yadgir, Bagalkote, Belagavi, Dharwad, Gadag, Koppal, Raichur, Uttara Kannada, Haveri, Vijayanagara, Ballari and Davangere.
- He argues the region has faced discrimination since unification and says statehood would improve administration and development.
- Kage aligns with the Uttara Karnataka Horata Samiti campaign that claims to have collected over one crore signatures and submitted memoranda to the President, Vice President, Prime Minister and Governor.
- Regional groups warn they will hoist a separate North Karnataka flag at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha if the demand is not addressed during the upcoming winter session in Belagavi.