Shivakumar, who hails from Kanakapura, was speaking at the Bhoomi Pooja and Shila Pooja programme for the restoration of Veerabhadraswamy temple in Shivanahalli village. He said their village is next to the highway and hence they should not sell the land to Bengalureans for any reason.

"There is KMF dairy here and Kanakapura town is going to grow till here. So, I appeal to everyone, don't sell the land," Shivakumar told the gathering. "I can't directly put money in your pocket or build a house for you but God has given me the power to increase your property values tenfold," he said.

Shivakumar also asked people not to consider themselves as natives of Ramanagara district. "You are not from Ramanagara district but from Bengaluru. Keep this in your mind. I am telling you the truth on Vijayadashami Day," the DCM told people. Shivakumar, who is also the Congress state president, said that some day the villages here would become part of Bengaluru.?

Former Chief Minister and JD(S) second-in-command H D Kumaraswamy slammed Shivakumar for his statement saying the 'drama' of merging Kanakapura with Bengaluru was being enacted only to regularise illegal properties.?"Whose properties are around Kanakapura? How many of them are 'benami'? Where have illegal fences been put up? The drama of including Kanakapura in Bengaluru is a drama played out to regularise all these irregularities," Kumaraswamy alleged.

Noting that Bengaluru is 52 km away from Kanakapura whereas Ramanagara district headquarters is 25 km away, Kumaraswamy said, "Which is convenient for people? The proposal by DyCM raises many suspicions."

Kanakapura currently comes under the Ramanagara district that was created in 2007 when HD Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) was the chief minister. Before 2007, Kanakapura was under Bengaluru Rural district.?

"Ramanagara district is the dream of people of Kanakapura, Ramanagara, Magadi and Channapatna Assembly constituencies.I had made it a reality. Now for his selfish goals, Shivakumar is making the statement," Kumaraswamy said.