Overview
- MLA Bharamagouda (Raju) Kage wrote on November 4 to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking statehood for North Karnataka and marked the appeal to the President, Prime Minister and Governor.
- He asked the chief minister to recommend the proposal to the Union government, invoking the need for administrative convenience and comprehensive development.
- The plan names 15 northern districts for inclusion, including Bidar, Kalaburagi, Belagavi, Dharwad, Gadag, Raichur, Ballari, Uttara Kannada and Davangere.
- Kage alleges persistent neglect and stepmotherly treatment of the region and has criticized governance shortfalls, saying he would forgo allowances in protest.
- Regional groups signal agitation during the Belagavi winter session, including a threat to hoist a separate flag at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, while no formal government response has been reported.