Karnataka MLAs Demand VIP Treatment & Multiple Free Tickets At IPL Opener, Sparking Controversy

Bengaluru: Cricket, they say, is a gentleman’s game — a view some Karnataka legislators appear to take rather literally. As the IPL season begins with title-holders Royal Challengers Bengaluru facing Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday, the MLAs, who otherwise claim to be "people's servants", have sought VIP treatment at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, arguing they cannot sit with the general public.

They also demanded four complimentary tickets each. Late Friday, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said legislators would instead receive two complimentary tickets. Karnataka has 224 MLAs and one nominated member in the Assembly, along with 75 MLCs, taking the total number of legislators to 300. Meeting the demand would require the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to set aside 600 complimentary tickets from the stadium’s 34,000 capacity.

A separate VIP enclosure could further reduce seating by about 200. The issue surfaced during the recently concluded legislature session, where Speaker U T Khader urged the government to consider the request. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also held discussions with KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad.

Leader of Opposition R Ashok raised the matter, claiming elected representatives were not being respected despite the government allotting land and facilitating the stadium’s operations. He also questioned the commercial use of land originally granted for cricket training.

Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashyappanavar demanded four tickets per legislator and a separate enclosure, arguing MLAs were VIPs and could not stand in the queue with the general public and purchase tickets. Shivakumar backed the demand, saying legislators were entitled to VIP treatment at the stadium.

Currently, the KSCA issues one complimentary ticket per legislator, often in general stands. These tickets are sometimes passed on to others, with past instances of misuse and disturbances in VIP areas. Apart from legislators, KSCA club members receive two tickets each, while police and senior bureaucrats also get allocations. Following last year’s RCB victory event stampede that killed 11 people, authorities have tightened crowd control.

The franchise’s new management is overseeing ticket distribution to prevent overselling. On Monday, 28,000 tickets were released online, with the remaining 6,000 set for counter sale on Saturday. The KSCA, which recently received government approval to host events at the stadium, is expected to comply with official directions.