The political dispute over the Mekedatu project intensified after Karnataka Opposition Leader R Ashoka accused the Congress of applying “double standards” to the proposed Cauvery River reservoir, while Chief Minister D K Shivakumar reiterated that Karnataka would continue pursuing the project through the required legal and regulatory process.
Ashoka, a senior BJP leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, alleged in a post on X that Congress leaders had backed Karnataka’s water rights during the party’s Mekedatu padayatra but were now silent because some of their colleagues in Tamil Nadu opposed the project. He questioned whether the Congress high command was prioritising political considerations in Tamil Nadu over Karnataka’s position.
Ashoka specifically referred to comments attributed to Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president B Manickam Tagore, who described the Mekedatu project as illegal and urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to take legal steps against its implementation. Ashoka also said Congress MP Jothimani had opposed the project.
“Padayatra in Karnataka, legal battle in Tamil Nadu,” Ashoka said, contrasting the Congress’s public messaging in Karnataka with the opposition expressed by its leaders in Tamil Nadu. He also criticised Shivakumar’s silence on the statements and argued that the project could not be built through speeches alone.
The project remained a stated priority for the Karnataka government. Shivakumar said on Saturday that Karnataka had the right to build the dam while protecting Tamil Nadu’s share of Cauvery water. He said the state would continue seeking the necessary clearances and pursue the project in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directions.
The Mekedatu proposal involves building a multi-purpose balancing reservoir across the Cauvery near Kanakapura in Bengaluru South district. Karnataka has presented it as a project for drinking water supply and power generation. Tamil Nadu has opposed the proposal, arguing that the project could affect the state’s water interests.
The dispute reflects the institutional complexity surrounding the project. Karnataka’s political support for Mekedatu must still operate within inter-state water-sharing arrangements, court directions and approvals from the relevant authorities. Tamil Nadu’s opposition, meanwhile, has remained a significant barrier to consensus between the two states.
For Bengaluru, the project is linked to the long-running question of how the city will secure additional drinking water as its population and urban footprint expand. The supplied report does not establish a construction timetable or confirm that the project has received all required clearances. The immediate next steps are Karnataka’s stated pursuit of approvals and the continuing political and legal contest between the two states.
