Bengaluru: In a dramatic twist to the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) allotment scandal in Karnataka, the land-owning agency has officially cancelled the allocation of 14 controversial plots to the wife of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, an official said on Wednesday.
The move comes after the CM’s wife, B M Parvati, made an unprecedented request to return the disputed plots, adding fresh fuel to a controversy that stems from allegations of wrongdoings by the CM and his kin in the allotment.
On Tuesday, Parvati’s son, Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah, a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council, submited his mother’s formal request to relinquish the sites in MUDA office.
MUDA Commissioner Raghunandan wasted no time and revoked the sale deed for the plots originally allotted to Parvati. With this, the disputed land is now back under MUDA’s control, though the political fallout remains far from over.
“After consulting legal experts, we have cancelled the allotment of the 14 sites in Parvathi Siddaramaiah’s name and informed the government. The sites now belong to MUDA again, and we will seek further legal counsel to determine the next steps,” Commissioner Raghunandan said.
Legal experts said the decision to cancel the allotment doesn’t protect the CM or his family from the ongoing investigation into how the sites were originally awarded.
The scandal has already rattled Karnataka’s political arena with opposition leaders, including BJP’s Pratap Simha, seizing the opportunity to attack Siddaramaiah.