Karnataka’s political arena heated up Monday as BJP’s Leader of Opposition R Ashok launched a broadside against CM Siddaramaiah during a Bengaluru media briefing. At the center: allegations of an illicit police-led team spying on Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, a strong contender for CM post.
Describing it as an ‘invisible SIT,’ Ashok accused the outfit of fund diversion and surveillance tactics against Shivakumar’s moves. This revelation exposes simmering tensions within the Congress leadership.
On the economic front, BJP decried the mishandling of guarantee programs. Advising the rich to surrender subsidies reverses solemn electoral vows, Ashok pointed out, unlike Modi’s gentle nudge on gas subsidies.
Contractors await Rs 37,000 crore in payments, emblematic of Congress’s failure to deliver on its manifesto. Siddaramaiah’s finger-pointing at BJP’s Bommai era overlooks the latter’s seamless COVID-recovery budget, Ashok argued.
Broader critiques targeted welfare fund delays, rising assaults on Hindus, urban waste overload in Bengaluru, revenue tech glitches, poor policing, and civic headaches. The state’s borrowing spree under Siddaramaiah has pushed debt to Rs 3.5 lakh crore, en route to Rs 6 lakh crore—a per capita load of Rs 1 lakh.
Internal Congress discord is blatant, with MLAs airing grievances openly. In the budget session ahead, BJP commits to spotlighting these failures—from covert ops to fiscal folly—ensuring the government faces the music.