Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of Karnataka presented his 14th budget over the course of 2 hours 50 minutes. The session was characterised by sharp criticisms from Opposition parties, who accused the Chief Minister of delivering a Budget that they believe is aimed at appeasing voters and funding the pre-poll freebie promises.
Siddaramaiah’s Budget speech became a focal point of contention as he kept ranting about the alleged financial mismanagement of the previous BJP Government. However, the Opposition parties wasted no time in launching scathing attacks on the Budget, voicing their concerns and grievances.
One of the critics was the BJP State General Secretary, N. Ravikumar, who described the Budget as “anti-Hindu” and accused it of favouring minority welfare measures at the expense of support for temples and mathas. Ravikumar also expressed alarm over the Government’s plan to secure a loan of Rs. 86,000 Crore, averaging to Rs. 15,000 per individual, dubbing it a “Loan Budget”.
Adding to the chorus of disapproval, Former Minister and BJP Leader R. Ashoka labelled Siddaramaiah’s Budget as a “cheat budget,” alleging that the Chief Minister had deceived the people of the state. Ashoka criticised the absence of new schemes and the lack of allocations for previously announced freebies.
Notably, the ‘Yuva Nidhi’ scheme, which was promised as a pre-poll freebie, did not find a spot in the budget. For the unemployed youth who don’t remember, Congress promised Rs. 3,000 as freebie to graduates and Rs. 1,500 for diploma holders.
JDS Legislature Party Leader H. D. Kumaraswamy ridiculed Siddaramaiah’s Budget by suggesting that funds received from the 20% hike in excise duty for alcohol would be diverted to finance the freebie schemes.
Kumaraswamy pointed out the dearth of long-term schemes, emphasising that the Budget predominantly shifted blame to the Central Government without providing sufficient allocations. Additionally, he expressed disappointment over the lack of provisions for the agricultural sector and farmers.
Prior to the Budget session, Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to restrain from increased borrowings, highlighting the burden it could impose on the people.
The Budget session in Karnataka saw Opposition parties strongly criticised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s Budget. The allegations of deception, lack of allocations, and concerns over increased borrowings were vociferously voiced by various leaders.
At this point, it is important to note that a dedicated Leader of Opposition (LoP) during this session was of importance. Basavaraj Bommai was nominated to act as the LoP temporarily, and without a dedicated LoP, the Congress had a field day.