Bengaluru, June 2: R. Ashok, the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly and a senior BJP leader, accused Siddaramaiah on Tuesday of plunging the state into a severe financial crisis before stepping down as Chief Minister and handing over leadership to D.K. Shivakumar. He claimed that Siddaramaiah is now solely focused on securing a significant position for his son.
In a strong statement titled “Karnataka in Ruins: Siddaramaiah’s Shameful Legacy,” Ashok asserted that Siddaramaiah left the Chief Minister’s position after “completely ruining Karnataka’s economy,” leaving behind a state in economic distress for his successor.
Rejecting the Congress party’s claims of a smooth and organized leadership transition, Ashok alleged that Siddaramaiah did not fight to remain in office because he was aware of the state’s deteriorating financial situation.
“The real reason is that Siddaramaiah knew the financial condition was crumbling. He deliberately left a bankrupt state for his successor,” Ashok charged.
The BJP leader accused the Congress government of pushing Karnataka into a “sea of debt” and claimed that development projects have come to a standstill. He compared the Congress administration to the previous BJP government, stating that the BJP had made significant investments in infrastructure and development projects.
Ashok further alleged that many sectors are facing financial crises due to unpaid government dues. Contractors have not received payments for completed work, electricity distribution companies (ESCOMs) are struggling with severe financial issues, and welfare schemes have been adversely affected due to a lack of funds.
He pointed out that installments for the Gruha Lakshmi scheme have been halted, funds for the Shakti scheme are unavailable, RTC employees have not received their dues, and there have been delays in allocations for the Anna Bhagya scheme.
Questioning the viability of the Congress government’s guarantee schemes, Ashok claimed that “unscientific” welfare commitments have weakened Karnataka’s economic condition, and the burden will ultimately fall on citizens in the form of higher taxes.
The Opposition leader also criticized Siddaramaiah’s recent trips to New Delhi, alleging that he is more focused on securing a political position for his son rather than addressing the state’s financial challenges.
Ashok further claimed that Siddaramaiah’s removal from the Chief Minister position, allegedly under pressure from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, is angering members of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community and could lead to internal strife within the Karnataka Congress.
Reiterating the BJP’s role as the opposition, Ashok stated that the party will raise these issues both in the Assembly and through public protests. The BJP will continue its campaign to ensure pending payments for contractors, RTC employees, and beneficiaries of government welfare schemes.
Notably, outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has dismissed claims of the government’s treasury being bankrupt due to Karnataka’s “guarantee schemes,” citing strong fiscal performance. He highlighted that Karnataka ranks second nationally in GST collection, following Maharashtra.
Siddaramaiah also noted that Karnataka’s growth rate of 8.1% exceeds the national average of 7.4%. Defending his debt management, he stated that the state’s fiscal deficit is within the 3% limit set by the Fiscal Responsibility Act, with debt at approximately 24.94% of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).
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