Bengaluru: DK Shivakumar’s ‘Two Marriages’ Remark About MLAs Sparks Political Row
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s comment that around a dozen MLAs who moved to Bengaluru from other parts of the state had married twice has triggered a political controversy, with BJP leaders asking him to identify the legislators he was referring to.
Shivakumar made the remark on Thursday while responding to a discussion in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on the state’s drought situation. During his speech, he moved to the broader issue of Bengaluru’s rapid urbanisation and the growing pressure on the city’s infrastructure and population.
Speaking about Bengaluru’s history and its transformation into a major metropolitan centre, Shivakumar referred to Kempegowda, Kengal Hanumanthaiah and former chief minister S M Krishna, crediting them with different stages of the city’s development.
He then spoke about the large number of people who move to Bengaluru from other parts of Karnataka for work, business, education and public life, saying many of them eventually settle in the city rather than returning to their native places.
It was in this context that he made his comment about legislators. Shivakumar said that several MLAs who had come to Bengaluru from other districts had married twice and claimed that he could provide a list of around a dozen such legislators. He referred specifically to lawmakers from districts including Dharwad and Dakshina Kannada but did not name any individuals.
The statement quickly became the focus of political discussion, shifting attention away from the broader issue of urbanisation that Shivakumar had been addressing.
BJP asks Shivakumar to name MLAs
Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka questioned the remark and asked the Chief Minister to disclose the names of the legislators he had referred to.
Ashoka described the comment as unnecessary and said it had created uncertainty around MLAs who had moved to Bengaluru from other parts of Karnataka. He also clarified that he was born and brought up in Bengaluru and therefore did not fall into the category Shivakumar was referring to.
Senior BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar also reacted to the statement. He said Shivakumar may have intended the comment in a lighter vein, but argued that making such a personal remark on the floor of the Assembly had implications for the dignity of the House.
Suresh Kumar said the statement had created what he described as “unhealthy curiosity” among the public. He called on Shivakumar to either clarify the remark or identify the legislators he had in mind, arguing that otherwise people could begin speculating about individual MLAs.
The BJP leader further said that if the Chief Minister had information about legislators maintaining two households, the matter should be clarified rather than left open to public speculation.
Remark came during discussion on Bengaluru’s growth
The controversy emerged from a wider discussion about Bengaluru’s population growth and urbanisation.
Shivakumar argued that the city has continued to attract people from across Karnataka and that many who come to Bengaluru eventually decide to remain there. He made a similar observation about lawyers who move to the state capital, saying they too often settle in the city instead of returning to their places of origin.
He also referred to changes in Karnataka’s urban population, citing an increase from about 33% to 47% as an indication of the scale of urbanisation.
However, his reference to MLAs and their alleged second marriages soon overshadowed the larger point about Bengaluru’s demographic growth.
Political reactions continue
The BJP’s response has centred largely on the demand for clarification. Party leaders have questioned why Shivakumar mentioned a specific number of legislators and indicated that he had a list, but did not identify them.
At the same time, reports of the exchange indicate that Shivakumar did not publicly name the MLAs during the Assembly discussion. The identities of the legislators he was referring to therefore remain unspecified in the public remarks cited in reports.
The episode has since become another point of political debate between the Karnataka government and the opposition, with BJP leaders focusing on the appropriateness and implications of the Chief Minister’s statement.
The controversy comes amid discussions in the Assembly on drought, Bengaluru’s expanding population and the pressures created by rapid urban development. While Shivakumar’s original remarks were made in the context of explaining why people continue to settle in Bengaluru, the reference to the personal lives of legislators has become the main subject of the political exchange.
As of the latest reports, Shivakumar had not publicly disclosed the names of the alleged legislators referred to in his statement. The remarks and the opposition’s response remain part of the ongoing political debate in Karnataka.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
