Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra on Tuesday, 22 September accused Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar of convening the special Assembly session as a political manoeuvre, alleging that the state government was exploiting issues such as drought relief and the Kasturirangan report for partisan purposes. Vijayendra made the remarks while speaking to reporters in Bengaluru.

The Core Accusation

Vijayendra alleged that Shivakumar had publicly claimed — both inside and outside the Assembly — that the special session was called to find genuine solutions to the drought crisis and the Kasturirangan report, free of political interference. He said the ruling Indian National Congress's own legislators had contradicted that claim.

'However, ruling party legislators themselves are saying that they took up the Kasturirangan issue and staged a padayatra in Shivamogga district because of the Chief Minister,' Vijayendra said. He further alleged that Shivakumar had been rattled by the BJP's padayatra and had therefore rushed to convene the special session. 'If the BJP had not conducted the padayatra, the Chief Minister would not have called this special session. He would have been sitting in Mangaluru catching fish,' he said.

Drought Declarations Under Scrutiny

Vijayendra questioned the state government's methodology for declaring drought-hit taluks, alleging that only 20 taluks had been designated drought-affected across 44 Assembly constituencies, purportedly excluding Bengaluru constituencies held by the BJP. He cited remarks by Muddebihal MLA Appaji Gowda, who had allegedly accused the state government of practising 'low-level politics' over the drought declarations. He also referenced a demand by senior Congress MLA H.K. Patil that his own constituency be included in the drought list, with Patil reportedly threatening to resign if it was not.

Vijayendra demanded that more than 190 taluks — including his own Shikaripura Assembly constituency in Shivamogga district — be declared drought-hit, and called for a farm loan waiver. He also noted that Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) legislators had staged a protest over the same issue, suggesting discontent beyond the BJP alone.

Electricity Supply and Farmer Welfare

The BJP president alleged that the Congress government had failed to ensure adequate three-phase electricity supply to farmers. Recalling the previous BJP administration under B.S. Yediyurappa, he said power had been procured from Chhattisgarh to bridge supply gaps during that period. He argued that the current government should have anticipated the drought and purchased electricity earlier, adding that per-unit costs had reportedly risen from ₹10–11 to ₹14–15 due to delayed procurement.

Funding Questions and Fiscal Concerns

Vijayendra also questioned the source of funding for ₹32,000 crore worth of development projects announced by Shivakumar during a recent visit to Mangaluru. 'Do not make free announcements, Chief Minister. You announced ₹32,000 crore in Mangaluru. Tell us where the money will come from,' he said. He further flagged the financial position of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), claiming its Managing Director Sivakumar K.B. had written to the state government warning that the corporation — facing dues of around ₹6,000–6,500 crore — was struggling to pay salaries and could be forced to suspend bus services. He also raised concerns over the quality of shoes and socks supplied to schoolchildren under a state scheme, alleging the items were failing within a month despite being meant to last a year.

What Comes Next

Vijayendra said the BJP would raise all these issues during the ongoing Legislative session proceedings. The party's positioning signals a prolonged confrontation with the Shivakumar government over drought relief priorities, fiscal accountability, and welfare delivery in the run-up to local elections.