Days after his close aide suggested that voters must choose between development and election guarantees due to financial constraints, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has firmly stated that there is “no question” of altering the state’s flagship welfare schemes.
“There’s no question of changing the guarantee programmes. These are designed to support the poor across all communities and provide them with economic and social security,” Siddaramaiah told reporters on Monday.
The comments came in response to remarks made by his economic adviser, Basavaraj Raya Reddy, who on Saturday openly addressed a potential financial dilemma at a public event. While speaking during the inauguration of a school building in his Yelburga assembly constituency, Reddy asked people to choose between receiving free welfare benefits or getting infrastructure such as roads and schools.
“Say you don’t want rice or other benefits — just tell us to build roads, and we will do that. If people want development projects instead of guarantees, I’ll advise Siddaramaiah to stop the schemes,” Reddy said in Kannada, hinting at the limitations caused by budgetary constraints.
He added, “If you want asphalt roads or schools, understand that not everything can be delivered at once. We must manage all demands with the funds available.”
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah countered those concerns by affirming that the state government is allocating funds to all MLAs, including those from the Opposition, to ensure development work continues.
“This time, we are giving each MLA, even those from the Opposition, funds to build roads and bridges,” the Chief Minister said.
The issue has sparked political controversy, with the opposition BJP accusing the Congress-led government of financial mismanagement.
“I believe this government is bankrupt. They are neither fulfilling election guarantees nor undertaking any development work. All they’re doing is engaging in corruption,” said Union Minister Prahlad Joshi, a BJP MP from Dharwad.
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The row highlights the growing tension between maintaining expansive welfare promises and managing the state’s financial limitations — a balance that could shape Karnataka’s political narrative in the coming months.
