Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra has urged the state government to locate Bengaluru's proposed second international airport near Tumakuru rather than Kanakapura, arguing that the move would promote balanced regional development and relieve pressure on the capital. He communicated these views in an open letter to Chief Minister D K Shivakumar dated July 16.

Vijayendra said placing the project near Tumakuru would provide more equitable access for people from Central Karnataka, North Karnataka and the Old Mysuru region and counter a growing public perception that major infrastructure decisions are influenced by real estate interests. He asserted that government decisions should be transparent and guided by the objective of balanced development for the entire state.

The state government had earlier shortlisted three sites, including two locations on Kanakapura Road near Harohalli and one on Kunigal Road in Nelamangala, while the chief minister has said the second airport would come up in south Bengaluru without naming a specific site. The proposal is intended to decongest Kempegowda International Airport at Devanahalli as Bengaluru expands.

Vijayendra warned that concentrating another major infrastructure project around Bengaluru could aggravate existing problems such as population growth, traffic congestion, drinking water shortages and environmental stress. He referenced past outcomes where development near the city kept economic benefits within Bengaluru and suggested that locating an airport at Tumakuru, given its national highway and rail links and industrial base, could have accelerated development across central and northern districts and reduced metropolitan pressure.

The appeal coincided with a BJP protest against the GBIT project in which senior leaders reiterated opposition to a Kanakapura site and accused the government of favouring real estate interests. The party urged that the matter be placed before the Legislative Assembly so that legislators can deliberate before a final decision is taken.