Ramanagara renaming sparks row: Nikhil Kumaraswamy slams Govt for 'real estate pamphlet' politics

Janata Dal (Secular) youth wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy has lashed out at the Congress-led Karnataka government over its decision to rename Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South, likening the move to a "real estate brochure stunt" rather than genuine development.

Taking to social media platform X, Nikhil criticized the government's cabinet-approved renaming proposal, calling it a superficial rebranding exercise. “Changing the name of Ramanagara to Bengaluru South isn’t development. It’s merely changing a signboard. This historic district is being renamed like a real estate pamphlet,” he wrote.

He further mocked the move by saying, “If renaming was a magic wand for development, you could rename Kanakapura as Kuala Lumpur and turn it into an international city overnight. Sadly, potholes won’t get filled just because you renamed the district.”

Nikhil also hit out at the Congress government’s performance, claiming that not a single development project has been initiated in Ramanagara during its two-year tenure. “You seem to think political hoardings are basic infrastructure,” he quipped.

In a pointed jibe at Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who hails from the region and is seen as the driving force behind the renaming, Nikhil added, “If this trend continues, D.K. Shivakumar might as well rename himself 'D.K. CM Kumar'—because when there's no leadership, branding becomes the only strategy.”

The name change proposal has triggered sharp reactions across political lines, raising questions over its necessity and timing, especially with no major infrastructural boost to accompany it.