Eshwarappa's resignation cannot be considered a setback for the govt: CM Bommai
Hubballi(PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said the resignation of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister K S Eshwarappa, against whom police have booked a case for abetting the suicide of contractor Santosh Patil, cannot be considered a "setback" for the government.
He said the truth will come out from the investigation and asked the opposition Congress, which is demanding Eshwarappa's arrest, not to become investigators, prosecutors and judges themselves.
"He (Eshwarappa) has decided. He will be giving resignation today evening. I spoke to him yesterday, he is of a clear stand and is voluntarily resigning. He has said that he is hundred per cent innocent. He has asked for an investigation to happen at the earliest and is confident of coming out clear from the allegations against him," Bommai told reporters here.
In response to a question as to whether there was any conspiracy against Eshwarappa, he said, this will come out from the investigation.
"As investigation progresses from all angles, truth will come out...," he added.
As a political furore erupted, Eshwarappa had on Thursday evening announced his resignation as Minister. He will be submitting the resignation letter to Bommai on Friday evening.
Responding to a question on the opposition parties demanding Eshwarappa's arrest, the Chief Minister said police should be allowed to investigate the case first.
"Was K J George (Minister during Congress rule who was blamed by a police officer before committing suicide) arrested by the Congress government? Neither the Karnataka police nor the CBI had arrested him, despite the NDA government at the Centre. Police will decide if they need to arrest or not," he said.
Let Congress leaders themselves not become investigators, prosecutors and judges, he said, adding that "allow police to conduct a fair probe, truth will come out."
Santosh Patil, a Belagavi-based contractor, was found dead at a hotel in Udupi on Tuesday, weeks after accusing Eshwarappa, who is also a senior BJP leader, of corruption.
In a purported suicide note in the form of a WhatsApp message, Patil had blamed Eshwarappa for his death.
Based on a complaint from Patil's relative, Udupi town police booked Eshwarappa for abetting the suicide.
To a question whether the incident is a setback for the government, Bommai said that the truth will come out regarding the developments that have taken place and the road work that is said to have been undertaken by Santosh Patil, without any work order.
"Eshwarappa is confident about coming out clear after investigation, after that it will be known who will face setbacks and for whom it is a step forward...there is no question of a setback or a step forward (for the government)," he added.
Santosh Patil had last month complained to Union Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh and o BJP central leaders stating that he was yet to be paid Rs 4 crore for road works undertaken in Hindalga village and had accused Eshwarappa's aides of demanding commission for the payment.
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Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah accuses EC of ‘bias’, defends state guarantee schemes ahead of bypolls
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has accused the EC of "double standards" and "bias" after it sought details on the state’s guarantee schemes in Davanagere and Bagalkot districts, where bypolls are scheduled for Thursday.
In a post on 'X' on Wednesday, Siddaramaiah said the Election Commission of India had asked the Karnataka government for information on fund releases under five ongoing guarantee schemes in the constituencies going to polls.
The polls were necessitated following the deaths of senior Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, respectively.
The schemes are Gruha Jyothi, which provides 200 units of free electricity to every household; Gruha Lakshmi, offering Rs 2,000 to women heading families; and Anna Bhagya, supplying 10 kg of rice per month to each member of BPL families.
In addition, Yuva Nidhi grants Rs 3,000 to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 to unemployed diploma holders aged 18–25 for two years, while Shakti enables women to travel free of charge within Karnataka on government non-luxury buses.
Siddaramaiah alleged that the ECI had remained silent when similar cash transfer schemes were announced in Maharashtra and Bihar ahead of elections, calling the scrutiny of Karnataka’s schemes a "clear case of bias".
"In states like Maharashtra and Bihar, cash transfer schemes were announced or fast-tracked just before elections, directly benefiting voters. Yet the ECI remained silent. This is not neutrality—it is complicity," he said.
The CM accused the BJP and NDA governments of "a double standard", noting that when they act, the ECI "looks the other way", but when Karnataka fulfils its promises, it faces "intense scrutiny".
He added that targeting the state’s guarantee schemes is "not just political but anti-poor, anti-women, and anti-Karnataka."
Siddaramaiah clarified that these schemes were not launched in connection with the bypolls but are ongoing programmes implemented as part of the Congress government’s commitments from the 2023 Assembly elections.
Funds are transferred regularly to beneficiaries in a transparent and structured manner, he added.
"The guarantees are part of governance—a direct investment in human dignity, household stability, and economic participation, not inducement," he said.
He also accused the BJP of "hypocrisy", saying that while it criticises Karnataka’s schemes as "freebies", it rolls out similar programmes in states it governs.
"The Karnataka model has set a benchmark for the country. What is deeply concerning, however, is the ECI’s selective approach," Siddaramaiah added.
