With the winter session starting on December 8, the long-running demand to split Belagavi district is back in the spotlight. Belagavi is Karnataka’s largest district, with 15 taluks and 18 Assembly segments, and the conversation around dividing it has suddenly become urgent.
The main reason: the Election Commission is preparing for the 2026 delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary seats. Before this process begins, it has instructed all state governments to finalise district and taluk boundaries by the end of December.
Once that deadline passes, the EC will freeze the existing boundaries for three years, meaning no new districts or taluks can be created until at least 2028.
This narrow window has re-energised groups in Belagavi that have been demanding smaller districts for better administration. Many of them plan to hold strong protests in and around the Suvarna Soudha during the winter session. Their message is clear:
If the government fails to act before December ends, the opportunity to reorganise Belagavi will be lost for several years.
Movements in Gokak and Chikodi, both of which have well-organised campaigns for district status, are expected to be at the forefront. Bailhongal, which recently held a bandh, has also added pressure on the government to make a decision quickly.
Belagavi’s political and administrative future is at a turning point—and what happens this month may shape the district for years to come.
