KRRS leader Chunappa Pujeri speaking to reporters in Belagavi. | Photo Credit: BADIGER PK Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar will chair a meeting of sugarcane farmers, officers, factory owners and other stakeholders at the Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi on October 26.“However, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi will not be able to attend due to some unavoidable reasons,” the CM told reporters in Bengaluru on Thursday (October 22, 2026).

He left for New Delhi later.“I spoke to Mr. Joshi.

He suggested that we hold the meeting first. He will hold another meeting later.

His involvement is important as the issues of sugarcane farmers are not restricted to Karnataka alone. It is an issue that concerns the whole country and several stakeholders.

He will hold a separate meeting with Union government officers to find solutions to their problems,” the CM said. Sugarcane farmers walk towards Tegur in Dharwad district during their Hubballi Chalo padayatra on October 18, 2026.

File photo | Photo Credit: BADIGER PK Meanwhile, sugarcane farmers held a meting in Gurlapur near Gokak in Belagavi district on Thursday, to prepare for the meeting on October 26.Following the meeting, farmers’ leader Chunappa Pujeri told reporters that a mega rally would be held in Gurlapur on October 25. “We expect around 20 lakh farmers to attend the rally. We will present a list of demands to the Union and State governments in that rally.

A delegation will attend the CM’s meeting on the October 26,” he said.“We demand that the government announce revised Minimum Selling Price, Fair and Remunerative Price and State Advised Price in the meeting. Otherwise, we will restart our protest.

We may take a padayatra to Suvarna Soudha if these demands are not met. We may also give a call for a Karnataka bundh and rasta roko by all farmers’ associations in all districts.

We are not sure what we will do. But we will not keep quiet.

We will continue the protest,” he added.To a query, he said it was unfortunate that Mr. Joshi would not be attending the meeting on October 26. “He should have made it a point to attend it at any cost.

How else will any one assure us of the decisions taken by the Union government, towards fulfilment of our demands?” he said. “I hope Mr. Joshi deputes some senior officer who will discuss with the CM and make an announcement,’’ he added.

Published - October 22, 2026 06:00 pm IST