Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Maharashtra Seeks Early Supreme Court Hearing in Karnataka Border Dispute
Maharashtra and Karnataka have disagreed for many years about where their state border should be.
Maharashtra says 865 villages and towns where many people speak Marathi should belong to Maharashtra.
Karnataka currently administers these places.
The disputed areas include Belagavi, Karwar and Nipani.
Maharashtra filed a case in the Supreme Court in 2004.
It has now asked the court to hear the case sooner.
Maharashtra says state borders were supposed to follow language patterns.
The court said it would examine the request but did not promise a hearing date.
Maharashtra asked the Supreme Court to urgently list its 2004 lawsuit against Karnataka over a border dispute.
The lawsuit concerns 865 Marathi-speaking villages and towns administered by Karnataka.
Maharashtra argued that their administration by Karnataka conflicts with language-based state reorganisation principles.
The disputed areas include Belagavi, Karwar and Nipani.
Chief Justice Surya Kant said he would examine the request but could not assure an early listing.
- Who
- The Maharashtra government and Karnataka are parties to the border dispute; Maharashtra made the request before a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant.
- What
- Maharashtra sought an early hearing of its 2004 lawsuit challenging Karnataka’s control over 865 Marathi-speaking villages and towns and related provisions of the 1956 law.
- When
- Maharashtra filed the lawsuit in 2004 and sought an early hearing on Tuesday.
- Where
- The dispute concerns areas including Belagavi, Karwar and Nipani, which are currently administered by Karnataka; the request was made in the Supreme Court.
- Why
- Maharashtra argued that administration of the Marathi-speaking areas by Karnataka conflicts with the language-based principles used to reorganise states.
- Lawsuit filed
- 2004
- Disputed areas
- 865 Marathi-speaking villages and towns
- Current administration
- Karnataka
- Named disputed areas
- Belagavi, Karwar and Nipani
- Relevant legislation
- States Reorganisation Act of 1956
- Maharashtra’s request
- An early Supreme Court hearing
- Court response
- Chief Justice Surya Kant said he would examine the case but could not assure a listing