Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R. Ashoka, on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, alleging that he deliberately handed over a financially distressed state to successor D.K. Shivakumar and is now focused on securing a political position for his son. The broadside came through a formal statement titled 'Karnataka in Ruins: The Shameful Legacy of Siddaramaiah'.

Key Allegations by the Opposition

Ashoka alleged that Siddaramaiah 'walked away after completely wrecking Karnataka's economy,' leaving behind what he described as an 'insurmountable ocean of debt' for his successor to navigate. He claimed that the outgoing Chief Minister chose not to contest his removal as Chief Minister precisely because he was aware of the state's deteriorating financial condition.

'The real reason is that Siddaramaiah knew the financial situation was collapsing. He deliberately left a bankrupt state to his successor,' Ashoka alleged.

The BJP leader further claimed that developmental activity in the state had ground to a halt, contrasting the Congress administration unfavourably with the previous BJP government, which he said had invested heavily in infrastructure.

Welfare Schemes Under Scrutiny

Ashoka alleged that several flagship welfare programmes had suffered due to a funding crunch. He claimed that instalments under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme had been halted, that funds for the Shakti scheme were unavailable, and that disbursements under the Annabhagya scheme had been delayed. He also alleged that employees of the state's Road Transport Corporation (RTC) had been deprived of rightful dues and that contractors had not been paid for completed works.

Questioning the long-term sustainability of the Congress government's guarantee schemes, Ashoka warned that 'unscientific' welfare commitments had weakened Karnataka's fiscal health and that the burden could eventually fall on ordinary citizens through higher taxation.

Son's Posting and Congress Infighting

The Leader of Opposition also criticised Siddaramaiah's recent visits to New Delhi, alleging that the primary purpose was to lobby for a political appointment for his son rather than to address the state's financial challenges. Ashoka further claimed that Siddaramaiah's exit from the Chief Minister's post — allegedly at the insistence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi — had angered members of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community and could trigger internal friction within the Karnataka Congress.

Siddaramaiah's Rebuttal

The outgoing Chief Minister had previously rejected claims that the guarantee schemes had bankrupted the state treasury. Siddaramaiah pointed out that Karnataka ranks second nationally in GST collections, behind only Maharashtra, and that the state's growth rate of 8.1 per cent exceeds the national average of 7.4 per cent. He also defended his debt management record, stating that the state's fiscal deficit remains within the 3 per cent limit mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act, with debt at approximately 24.94 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).

What Comes Next

Ashoka stated that the BJP would raise these issues both inside the Legislative Assembly and through public protests, and would campaign for the clearance of pending payments to contractors, RTC employees, and welfare scheme beneficiaries. With D.K. Shivakumar now at the helm, how the new Chief Minister addresses these fiscal allegations — and whether the Congress can present a united front amid reported OBC discontent — will set the tone for Karnataka's political landscape in the months ahead.