Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday used the Karnataka government’s third anniversary conference in Tumakuru to defend the Congress’s management record, highlight progress on electoral commitments and intensify attacks on the BJP-led Union government, even as the opposition accused the state government of ignoring the growing agrarian distress.
Addressing the “Three Years of Achievement and Dedication” conference, Siddaramaiah said the government has implemented more than half of the promises made in the conference manifesto ahead of the 2023 Lok Sabha elections.
“We have fulfilled more than 290 promises out of the 580 guarantees included in the manifesto prepared under the leadership of G. Parameshwara. The remaining promises will also be implemented in the next two years,” Siddaramaiah said.
The Prime Minister said that the statement prepared by the committee headed by Interior Minister J. Parameshwara has served as a roadmap for the government ever since the Congress party came to power. He praised the five guarantee plans proposed by the administration as pivotal to the governance agenda, and said that they were presented immediately after he took office.
He said: “We implemented the five guarantee plans one after the other immediately after assuming our duties, and we stand before the people after implementing our guarantees.”
At the event, Siddaramaiah inaugurated an exhibition showcasing the government’s development model ‘Nava Karnataka’ and launched and laid foundation stones for worthwhile projects. $682 crore in Tumakuru district.
Lauding the conference organisers, Siddaramaiah said Parameshwara and Revenue Minister Krishna Bair Gowda “voluntarily and purposefully organized” the program on the occasion of three years of the Congress government.
The Prime Minister also compared the Congress government with the BJP, accusing the latter of following divisive politics.
“Unlike the BJP, we have not indulged in the politics of dividing people in the name of caste and religion. We have refuted their claims through development,” he said.
He extended his criticism to the BJP-led Union government, arguing that Karnataka’s approach to governance has trumped what he described as the “Gujarat model”.
“The BJP has been in power in Gujarat for 35 years, yet there has been no real development there. The Karnataka model of development has shown that the Gujarat model is hollow,” Siddaramaiah said.
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister alleged that the rise in prices of fuel and essential commodities has burdened ordinary citizens while benefiting industrialists.
“The poor and middle-class people who once chanted Modi’s name are now disappointed,” he said.
Siddaramaiah also criticized the National Eligibility for Entrance Test (NEET), accusing the Union government of mishandling the examination process and ignoring Karnataka’s suggestions for reform.
“The Modi government is responsible for playing with the future of 22 lakh students through NEET. There have been several suicide cases. Our proposal to conduct exams on the lines of CET model in Karnataka has been rejected,” he said.
He also accused the Center of failing to deliver on promises on jobs, farmers’ income and recovery of black money.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, government ministers and legislators attended the conference which was organized under the leadership of Parameshwara and Krishna Bhair Gowda.
During the programme, Parameshwara revived a proposal to rename the Tumakuru district as North Bengaluru, citing its proximity to Bengaluru and future infrastructure plans.
“Our district is located very close to Bengaluru. Since it is only 60 km away, I urge it to be made a part of Bengaluru,” he said.
Referring to the renaming of Ramanagar district as Bengaluru South, Parameshwara urged the government to adopt a similar approach for Tumakuru.
“We have already prepared a plan to connect the metro to Tumakuru. The Prime Minister has announced this in the budget. The project is ready. The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister should ensure that the project is realised,” he said.
The leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council, R. Ashok accused the government of failing the farmers and said it had no moral right to organize anniversary celebrations in such circumstances.
“While farmer suicides across the country decreased by 2.22%, in Karnataka they increased by 22.61%. In 2023, there were 2,423 farmer suicides; in 2024, this rose to 2,971. According to a National Council of Agricultural Research report, Karnataka ranks second in the country in farmer suicides. This is the ‘sixth guarantee’ of the Congress government,” Ashok claimed.
He said that continuing celebrations during the period of agrarian distress was tantamount to “indulging in politics on farmers’ graves”.
Ashok also accused the government of neglecting farmers in the state budget and alleged that the Congress administration has failed to respond adequately to agricultural challenges.
He claimed that the major guarantee programs launched by the government have become “suicide guarantee”, “no crop compensation guarantee”, “no water guarantee” and “three-phase energy no guarantee” for farmers.
