Karnataka govt proved predictions wrong over welfare schemes: Governor in address to Assembly
Insight Online News
Bengaluru, March 3 : Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Monday said the Congress government was on the path of progress and has proved the predictions wrong over the state’s welfare schemes that they would render the state’s economy weak and halt the progress.
He said this while addressing the joint session of the Assembly on the first day of the budget session. “With pride, I am telling that my government is successful in speeding up development and strengthening finances. As per the statement of Mahatma Gandhi, our government is committed to taking the benefits of the schemes to the last person in the society,” the Governor stated.
“Some people had predicted that with the implementation of government’s ambitious welfare schemes, the state’s economy would be affected and development would be halted. This prediction has proved to be false by the government,” the Governor said..
The 15-day budget session commenced on Monday amid discussions on the feasibility of guarantee schemes, leadership tussles in both the Congress and BJP, and concerns over the state government planning to incur a Rs one lakh crore loan in the 2025-26 budget.
CM Siddaramaiah, Dy CM D.K. Shivakumar, received Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at the entrance of Vidhana Soudha and extended a warm welcome. He was accorded a red-carpet welcome into the House. Speaker U.T. Khader and Chairman of the Council Basavaraj Horatti offered him bouquets and escorted him into the house to address the joint session.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is set to present his 16th state budget on March 7, the highest number of times any leader in Karnataka has. On the other hand, the budget session is expected to be action-packed, with the opposition BJP and JD(S) preparing to target the Congress-led government over various issues.
Before the commencement of the joint session, all BJP MLAs, led by Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka, undertook a foot march from the Legislators’ Home to Vidhana Soudha in protest against the state government’s alleged stance, which they claim insulted the Governor and Raj Bhavan. The BJP has maintained that the state government attempted to curtail the Governor’s powers.
State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, and JD(S) leaders Suresh Babu and Bhojegowda, along with other MLAs, participated in the procession.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar stirred controversy by criticizing Kannada film industry artists for their absence at the inauguration of the International Film Festival. The opposition slammed Shivakumar for his remark that he “knows how to tighten the screws” on film artistes. Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and H.D. Kumaraswamy, along with the state BJP unit, have condemned his statement, calling it toxic and unacceptable.
The budget session is also expected to witness heated debates on issues such as the police station attack case, Muslim appeasement, metro fare hikes, and proposed increases in water and milk prices.
As internal conflicts continue within both the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP, it will be interesting to see how both parties engage in political attacks on each other.
In the Congress party, violating the high command’s directive to avoid discussions on power sharing, former Union Minister and senior party leader Veerappa Moily stated that no one would be able to stop Shivakumar from becoming the Chief Minister.
Shivakumar’s loyalist, MLA Basavaraju Shivaganga, further asserted that the Deputy CM would become the Chief Minister by December and lead the party in the next Assembly elections. This development has reportedly enraged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his camp.
Meanwhile, although the intervention of the BJP high command quelled the rebellion against state President B.Y. Vijayendra, BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has continued to show open defiance. Previously, MLA Yatnal had targeted former CM B.S. Yediyurappa in the House.
BJP MLAs S.T. Somashekar and Shivaram Hebbar have aligned with Congress leaders and went against party orders in previous sessions.
The 2025-26 budget size is expected to be Rs 4 lakh crore. CM Siddaramaiah has presented 15 budgets so far — eight as the Chief Minister and seven as Deputy CM and Finance Minister — a record in the state. Former CM Ramakrishna Hegde presented 13 budgets.
