Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah's fresh diktat to BTC: Vacate premises within two years

Bengaluru: The start of the winter season at the Bangalore Turf Club from November 1 is in jeopardy after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah threatened he won’t issue the licence if the club fails to give a guarantee to the government that they would exit the current premises in the next two years.

According to a source in the know of things, the CM, along with his legal adviser AS Ponnanna and Energy Minister KJ George, made a surprise visit to BTC on Sunday evening. Many officials, who were in Mysuru for the Derby, were forced to make a hasty return, including the newly-elected chairman L Shivashankar.

The source said that although the meeting between Siddaramaiah, Shivashankar and some BTC officials was amicable, the CM was firm that the club give an undertaking they would move out of the current premises within two years. 

The CM, reportedly, offered 120 acres in Kunigal Stud Farm for racing activities. Club members did try reasoning with Siddaramaiah but the CM was unyielding and asked the BTC to move out of its current facility without applying delaying tactics. The CM was, however, willing to offer six acres of land in BTC, which is spread across 80 acres, for clubhouse activities and other administrative functions.

Not surprisingly, BTC members were taken aback by surprise over CM's shock visit and his diktat as preparations for the season are already underway with even a press conference scheduled for October 29 where the agenda for racing between November to February was to be unveiled.

“The CM told some of the committee members that if the club doesn’t give an undertaking about their exit in a time-bound manner, then he may consider not issuing the licence to conduct the races,” the source told DH on conditions of anonymity.

Another source revealed that committee members as well as senior officials, including some past chairmen, held several rounds of meetings on Monday to discuss the way forward. The meetings deliberated on engaging the CM in a dialogue and sort out the licence issue rather than approach the High Court considering the poor financial condition of the club. 

"During an extraordinary general meeting, it was agreed the club move out of its current premises. The CM is aware of it. He wants the club to stop beating around the bush and start building the new facility in Kunigal. That's why he wants BTC to give a written undertaking this time. It's testing times ahead again," said another source.   

This is not the first time an incumbent CM or the government has been at loggerheads with BTC. Over the last decade or so almost every season has witnessed stand-offs between the two sides, especially over BTC's reluctance to move out of its premises.