Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday declared that the Congress would reclaim power in Karnataka in the 2028 Assembly elections, asserting that the party's five guarantee schemes had transformed the lives of ordinary citizens and emerged as a replicable model for the rest of the country. He was speaking at the Sarthaka Seveya Samarpane convention in Tumakuru, organised to mark three years of the Congress government in the state.

Shivakumar's 2028 Prediction

Addressing party workers and supporters, Shivakumar was unambiguous about his electoral forecast. 'Congress will once again come to power in Karnataka in 2028. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and JD-S leaders should note this, and people should remember it too,' he said. He pointed to the party's current strength of 136 MLAs as evidence of the public's endorsement, arguing that the government had delivered on every promise made before the last election.

Guarantee Schemes as a National Template

Shivakumar claimed that the state's five guarantee schemes — including the Shakti free bus travel scheme for women — had not only delivered direct relief but had also drawn admiration beyond Karnataka's borders. 'Our guarantee schemes have become a model for the entire country. Every political party is copying them today after initially criticising them,' he said. He further claimed, without citing the specific publication, that a study by Oxford University had praised Karnataka's guarantee schemes for driving social change among the poor and described them as a global model. These schemes, he argued, were introduced specifically to cushion citizens against rising prices and shrinking household incomes.

Swipe at Kumaraswamy and the BJP

Shivakumar directed pointed criticism at Union Minister and JD-S leader H.D. Kumaraswamy, dismissing his remarks against the state government's initiatives, including the conversion of B-Khata properties to A-Khata in Bengaluru. 'When he was in power, he could not do much. Now, with just 17 legislators, repeatedly saying 'I will do this and that' will not change anything,' Shivakumar remarked. He also targeted the BJP-led Central government over fuel prices and the weakening rupee, alleging that BJP leaders had remained 'silent' on the economic hardship facing ordinary citizens.

Tumakuru as a Second Bengaluru

Beyond electoral politics, Shivakumar outlined a development vision for the convention's host city, stating that the state government was committed to building Tumakuru into a 'second Bengaluru' to ease population and infrastructure pressure on the state capital. He also highlighted land ownership guarantee programmes being implemented under Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda as part of a broader push for equitable development across the state.

With the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections still three years away, Shivakumar's remarks signal that the Congress intends to campaign early on its welfare record — and frame the contest as a referendum on the guarantee model it claims rivals are now quietly borrowing.