Leader of Opposition R. Ashok criticises Congress government

The internal power struggle within the ruling Congress party has rendered the Karnataka government virtually dysfunctional, Opposition Leader in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok said on Tuesday (May 26).

Speaking to journalists during his visit to Hassan, Mr. Ashok said a majority of Ministers had camped in Delhi, leaving the State administration without direction. He added that the Congress high command was too weak to intervene and restore order. “The State is beset with problems. The Finance Department is struggling to pay salaries, yet Ministers and Congress leaders are enjoying themselves in Delhi. They are deceiving the very people who voted them to power,” he said.

On the State’s finances, Mr. Ashok alleged that Karnataka’s total debt under the Congress government had already crossed ₹7 lakh crore and warned that it would touch ₹8.5 lakh crore within a year. By the time the party’s term ends, he said, the figure could reach ₹10 lakh crore. “Siddaramaiah has accumulated more debt than all previous Chief Ministers of Karnataka put together,” he remarked.

Mr. Ashok attributed the sorry state of the treasury to what he called “unscientific and fiscally irresponsible guarantee schemes”. Clarifying that the BJP was not opposed to welfare measures as a matter of principle, he said, “During our tenure, we gave bicycles to students and implemented the Bhagyalakshmi scheme — all well-planned initiatives calibrated to revenue. The present government, by contrast, announced guarantee schemes purely to win votes, with no thought for sustainability,” he alleged.