7-8 senior legislators, ministers in race for CM post; administration has collapsed: Vijayendra
Sirsi (PTI): Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Monday claimed that the state’s administrative machinery has "completely collapsed" amid intensifying competition within the Congress for the chief minister’s post with at least seven to eight senior legislators and ministers reportedly in the race.
Alleging that the Siddaramaiah government has "neglected farmers in distress" amid the ongoing power tussle, he said the opposition will press for discussions on a host of issues, including farmers’ welfare and north Karnataka, during the winter session of the legislature in Belagavi from December 8, and seek accountability from the administration.
"The competition for the chief minister's chair is intensifying day by day. According to information I have, at least seven to eight senior legislators and ministers in the ruling party are competing to somehow become the CM," Vijayendra said.
Speaking to reporters, he said that as a result, the administrative machinery has completely collapsed.
Asked if the BJP would be ready if a faction within the Congress came out and sought to form a government with the BJP, Vijayendra said, "The voters of the state have given a clear mandate to the Congress and have made the BJP sit in the opposition. The BJP will function as an effective opposition and has no intentions to form the government."
Accusing the Siddaramaiah-led government of neglecting farmers since coming to power, Vijayendra said, "When the PM Kisan Yojana was introduced by the central government, the BJP government in the state, led by B S Yediyurappa, paid an additional Rs 4,000 to farmers, but that has now been stopped."
"When Basavaraj Bommai was the CM, he introduced the Raita Vidya Nidhi scheme (scholarship for agricultural labourers' children), but that too was stopped. It is unfortunate that the Siddaramaiah-led government is unable to come to the rescue of farmers, who are in distress due to rains and floods," he added.
"None of the ministers have visited affected areas or met farmers. On the whole, the government has completely forgotten the interests of the farmers. Amid internal fighting in the ruling party for the CM post, the administrative machinery has completely collapsed," Vijayendra further said.
Noting that he has held discussions with the Leader of Opposition, party leaders, and alliance partner JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy regarding the plan of action for the upcoming winter session, Vijayendra said, "Issues concerning north Karnataka are usually neglected and discussed on the last day during the winter session at Belagavi, just for the sake of it."
"But this time, the opposition parties have decided to press for discussion on issues concerning north Karnataka, farmers, and irrigation in the first three to four days itself," he added.
Alleging a "conspiracy" by the Congress government in the state for not properly implementing central government schemes, he said, "To get the money released for the central government schemes, the state government will have to submit a progress report."
"Without doing any of that, if they say central funds are not coming, and the state government is responsible for it, it is not right. To hide its failures, the state government puts the blame on the Centre, and it has become a habit for them," he added.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
