Separate Mysuru state proposal resurfaces; Committee urges Centre to act before 2028 delimitation
Bengaluru: The long-standing demand for administrative bifurcation of Karnataka resurfaced on Monday, with the Mysuru State Formation Committee urging the Union Government to carve out a separate Mysuru state comprising districts in the southern belt.
The committee argued that such a division would ensure balanced regional development and streamline governance in one of India’s largest states. Speaking to reporters, committee president Marimallayya said that Karnataka’s size and diverse administrative needs warrant a structural overhaul.
“Karnataka has grown into a vast state with complex regional aspirations. For comprehensive development and balanced governance, forming separate states is appropriate. We strongly urge the Centre to consider the creation of a Mysuru state,” he said.
The committee has proposed a new state comprising Mysuru, Mandya, Kodagu, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Ramanagara, Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, Hassan, Chitradurga, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Davanagere and Uttara Kannada districts.
According to the panel, reconfiguring Karnataka in this manner would enable better resource allocation, efficient administration and region-specific development planning. The demand gains significance in the backdrop of the mandatory delimitation exercise scheduled before the 2028 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
Marimallayya stated that reorganization prior to delimitation would provide clarity and help shape future development blueprints. “Before delimitation begins, the Centre must take a decision on state formation. A new Mysuru state will allow for well-planned development and equitable governance. All political leaders in Karnataka should arrive at a consensus on this,” he said.
The committee also argued that new states should ideally be formed considering population size, recommending that each state should govern approximately 3.5 crore people. “From an administrative standpoint, population-based state formation is more practical. This is the right time for public representatives, intellectuals and writers to discuss the idea seriously,” Marimallayya added.
While the proposal is expected to spark political debate, especially with parties differing sharply on state reorganisation, the committee maintained that the demand is rooted not in identity politics but in administrative necessity.
With development disparities between regions often surfacing during elections, the call for a separate Mysuru state may once again push Karnataka’s long-pending regional aspirations into the political spotlight.
