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For the Congress in Karnataka, the last two years have been a mixed bag

The Congress government in Karnataka is all set to mark its second anniversary on March 20 with a mega event in Hosapete in north Karnataka.

It has been an eventful two years for the man in the hot seat. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has adroitly managed the State’s economy, including the cost of funding the Congress’ five ‘guarantees’; handled the social welfare agenda; and met developmental and infrastructural needs even if this has meant raising the prices of fuel and liquor to mop up additional resources. His government has rolled out programmes and increased allowances to several segments of society. It has spent close to ₹80,000 crore on the five ‘guarantees’, including free bus rides for women. It has also successfully conducted a Global Investors’ Meet this year and exceeded its target by netting ₹10 lakh crore worth of investments.

But the Chief Minister has also weathered many a political storm, including attempts to usurp his post, factionalism in the Congress, alleged scams, and the combined onslaught of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular). His series of troubles began with the alleged multi-crore scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, which is still under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate. This was followed by the alleged illegal allotment of 14 sites (now surrendered) by the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to his wife Parvathi; political tensions over the State Backward Classes Commission’s Socio-Economic and Educational Survey; and the problem of factionalism. On many occasions, Karnataka also faced social tensions, but the government handled these situations firmly and thwarted attempts to foment caste and communal strife.

After its relentless campaign in the 2023 Assembly elections regarding the ‘40% commission’ corruption charges against the previous BJP government, the Congress, ironically, now finds itself tainted in the same manner and seemingly unable to leap ahead on the developmental front. The government set up a judicial inquiry commission to probe the alleged commission in awarding public contracts during the BJP government’s tenure. But so far, no conclusive evidence has been found barring some serious lapses and irregularities in COVID-19 management.

Meanwhile, the government has also been on a collision course with Raj Bhavan and the Narendra Modi-led Union government. It strongly protested against Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot for sanctioning the prosecution of Mr. Siddaramaiah in the MUDA land issue, even while he has not sanctioned prosecution of JD(S) leader and Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy despite repeated requests by the Karnataka Lokayukta. The government also faulted the Governor for withholding Bills passed by the State legislature and for reserving for the President’s assent its Bill providing a 4% quota for Muslims (under the Other Backward Classes quota) in public contract works. The Congress dispensation has also often attacked the Modi regime for denying fair share in the devolution of taxes to Karnataka, cutting grants under the 15th Finance Commission, and delaying clearances for long-pending irrigation projects.

The government has waded through several law and order issues too. In 2024, a bomb exploded in a café in Bengaluru. The same year, a student, Neha Hiremath, in Hubballi, was stabbed to death; recently, a Hindutva activist, Suhas Shetty, in Mangaluru, was murdered. A few borrowers who were unable to repay loans taken from unregistered microfinance institutions died by suicide. The State Police have also allegedly misused privileges in the gold smuggling case involving actor Ranya Rao.

Amid speculation over a possible leadership change, the factions loyal to Mr. Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar have been involved in shadow fighting in a bid to undermine each other for the last two years. Ultimately, the intervention of All India Congress Committee chief Mallikarjuna Kharge forced the warring factions to calm down, at least for the time being.