HDK says Karnataka on the downslide under Congress rule

Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday (December 25, 2025) sought to bring out a contrast between the Centre and the State government in terms of good governance.

Participating at a programme organised by the Kempegowda Foundation here to mark the 101st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, along with the Atal Award presentation and Good Governance Day celebrations, the Union Minister said India was striding towards becoming the world’s third-largest economic power under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But Karnataka, which once stood as a model of good governance and development, was now heading towards decline under Congress government, he said.

“Karnataka was once synonymous with exemplary governance. It had adopted an outstanding development model and emerged as a leader for the entire nation. But under the Congress government’s administration, all these distinctions have been lost, and the State is now moving in the opposite direction,” he said.

On the occasion, the 2025 Atal Awards were presented to Prof. Govindan Rangarajan, Director of the Indian Institute of Science and Head of the Mathematics Department; S. Chandrashekar Shetty, former Vice-Chancellor of Adichunchanagiri University; and H.S. Nagaraju, founder of BASE and Prayoga institution.

BJP claim

Earlier in the day, BJP State President B. Y. Vijayendra claimed that the party was in a position to win 130 to 140 seats of the total 224 in the Karnataka Assembly irrespective of when the Assembly elections would be held.

Speaking to mediapersons, he said the BJP had lost the previous Assembly elections due to its own mistakes. He assured the party cadre that the party was bound to bounce back to power whenever the elections were held.