Bengaluru: The political battle over potholes in Karnataka spilled onto the streets on Wednesday as the opposition BJP launched a state-wide ‘road roko’ protest across all 224 constituencies, demanding urgent road repairs and better infrastructure.

In Bengaluru, BJP leaders took the protest a step further by filling potholes themselves, with Yelahanka MLA S R Vishwanath leading a symbolic drive in his constituency early in the morning.

“This is a positive protest. We are filling potholes wherever possible to send a message to the Congress government about how inefficient it has been,” a BJP representative said.

The Congress government, however, hit back strongly. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar accused the BJP of trying to tarnish Bengaluru’s image ahead of civic body polls, stressing that potholes were a “legacy of the previous BJP government”.

He argued that the problem was not unique to Karnataka, citing poor road conditions even in New Delhi.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has set a one-month deadline for officials to complete repairs, while Shivakumar said work is already underway, with “about a thousand potholes being filled daily across each of the five corporations in Bengaluru.”

He also pointed to the government’s allocation of ₹1,100 crore for repair and construction works.

The protests come amid growing public outrage. Industry leaders like former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai and Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw have urged immediate government intervention.

The debate intensified after logistics firm BlackBuck announced plans to exit its Bellandur base on Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road, citing crippling infrastructure woes.

As the pothole war turns political, the pressure on the Siddaramaiah government to deliver quick fixes has mounted — with both citizens and corporates demanding results beyond rhetoric.