Karnataka faces political turmoil over Congress appointments in state panel

A political storm has engulfed Karnataka following the Siddaramaiah government's appointment of Congress workers as office-bearers in a panel responsible for implementing pre-poll guarantees, with allocated funds set aside for their remuneration.

The opposition parties, BJP and JD(S), have accused the Congress administration of exploiting taxpayers' funds to reward party workers. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar defended the decision, asserting that Congress workers deserve to oversee the programs initiated by the state government.

In a show of opposition, BJP MLAs staged a protest outside the Vidhana Soudha, while JD(S) MLA MT Krishnappa raised concerns in the Assembly. He questioned the necessity of using state funds on party workers when program oversight was already managed by MLAs and officials.

Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka sharply criticized Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar, alleging a conflation of party and governance. "Why should taxpayers' money fund Congress workers? If they need pay, let them seek it elsewhere. These individuals have been granted cabinet rank, official residences, and offices," Ashoka stated.

In defense, Shivakumar asserted, "Our government decided this. Our workers, who played a role in our electoral victory, have every right to supervise initiatives."

Ashoka retorted sarcastically, inquiring if BJP workers could similarly monitor programs under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Former Home Minister and BJP leader Araga Jnanendra claimed that Congress workers were convening parallel meetings rather than cooperating with elected MLAs. He questioned their trustworthiness, emphasizing that such roles were already compensated and describing the situation as undemocratic.

Shivakumar countered that the BJP had historically opposed the guarantees, noting, "Our government is investing Rs 52,000 to Rs 56,000 crore—constituting 20% of the budget—on guarantee schemes." He further argued, "Even amid BJP's criticisms, we implemented these guarantees within five days of coming to power to address public distress over rising prices and inflation."

Raising the issue outside the Assembly, Ashoka told reporters, "Congress appointees in each constituency receive a salary of Rs 25,000, with personal assistants and a sitting fee of Rs 1,100. The state president earns Rs 40,000, while vice presidents get Rs 25,000. This results in Rs 15-20 crore annually being misappropriated to Congress workers."

At the protest, BJP state chief BY Vijayendra accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of misusing public funds to compensate the chairman of the guarantee implementation scheme. The BJP plans to escalate the issue by presenting a memorandum to the Governor.