Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader R. Ashoka on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, wrote to Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, urging him to visit drought-affected districts of Karnataka, personally assess crop losses, and press the state government for adequate and timely relief. In the same letter, Ashoka questioned the state government's decision to disburse a first instalment of just ₹2,500 per farmer to approximately 50 lakh drought-hit farmers — an amount he argued was insufficient to even cover the basic cost of preparing agricultural land.

Scale of the Drought Crisis

Karnataka is in the grip of one of its most severe drought situations in decades, according to Ashoka's letter. The state recorded a 35 per cent deficit in southwest monsoon rainfall — reportedly the worst since 1971. The state government has declared 217 taluks drought-affected, with estimated crop losses of ₹46,324.50 crore across approximately 47.09 lakh hectares. The government has already spent around ₹1,250 crore to disburse the ₹2,500 instalment to 50 lakh affected farmers.

Karnataka has sought ₹10,000 crore to ₹12,000 crore in drought relief from the Centre. However, as the Centre has not yet released its share under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) norms, the state decided to release ₹2,500 per farmer from its own resources as the first instalment. Under NDRF norms, the total eligible relief per farmer stands at ₹8,500, covering both Centre and state shares.

What Ashoka Alleged Against the State Government

Ashoka accused the Congress-led Karnataka government of failing to provide sufficient assistance to distressed farmers, claiming that even after four months, farmers had not received meaningful relief despite extensive crop losses. He also pointed to concerns reportedly raised by some Congress legislators over delays in declaring their own constituencies drought-affected — a contradiction, he argued, that exposed the government's lack of preparedness.

'Real and effective support is needed, not just support in name,' Ashoka wrote, adding that the government must demonstrate its commitment through adequate financial assistance rather than announcements.

He also criticised delays in identifying and declaring drought-affected areas, warning that agricultural loans, cultivation expenses and household needs could not wait for administrative procedures while crops dried up and farming families' financial liabilities mounted.

Comparison with Previous BJP Government's Relief

To substantiate his critique, Ashoka cited the relief disbursed by the previous BJP government between 2019–20 and 2022–23. According to figures in his letter, the BJP government disbursed a total of ₹6,651.15 crore in input subsidies to 51.90 lakh farmers for crop losses across 57.43 lakh hectares over those four years.

Year-wise, in 2019, ₹1,232.20 crore was provided to 6,71,314 farmers for losses across 9,72,517 hectares. In 2020, ₹941.70 crore reached 12,00,346 farmers across 19,68,247 hectares. In 2021, ₹2,446.10 crore was disbursed to 18,56,083 farmers for 14,93,811 hectares. In 2022, ₹2,031.15 crore was released to 14,62,841 farmers for losses across 13,09,421 hectares.

Ashoka also cited relief rates applicable during the previous government's tenure: for rain-fed crops, the rate was ₹13,600 per hectare (comprising ₹8,500 from SDRF/NDRF and ₹5,100 as the state's share). For irrigated crops, the rate was ₹25,000 per hectare (₹17,000 from SDRF/NDRF and ₹8,000 from the state). For perennial crops, it stood at ₹28,000 per hectare (₹22,500 from SDRF/NDRF and ₹4,500 as the state's share).

Six Demands Placed Before Rahul Gandhi

Ashoka urged Rahul Gandhi to seek explanations from Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and the Karnataka government on six specific issues: the rationale for limiting relief to ₹2,500 per farmer given the scale of losses; the failure to provide higher relief from state resources; delays in declaring drought-affected taluks; measures to ensure immediate disbursement of adequate compensation; steps to address drinking water, fodder shortages and livestock protection; and a time-bound plan to assess crop losses and identify all eligible beneficiaries.

He appealed to the Congress leader to personally visit drought-hit districts, meet farmers, and direct the state government to undertake relief measures comparable in scale to those of the previous administration.

What Happens Next

With the Centre's share of NDRF funds yet to be released, farmers remain dependent on the state's ₹2,500 interim instalment — well short of the ₹8,500 total they are eligible for under national norms. Whether Rahul Gandhi responds to the BJP's public appeal, and whether the Centre expedites its relief disbursement, will determine the pace at which Karnataka's farming families receive fuller compensation ahead of the next sowing season.