Karnataka drought: JD(S) uses H.K. Patil's letter to corner Congress govt
Synopsis
A letter by senior Congress MLA H.K. Patil — threatening to resign if his Gadag constituency is not declared drought-hit — has handed JD(S) a ready-made weapon against the Shivakumar government. With 27 of 73 taluks in Kittur Karnataka allegedly excluded from drought declarations despite 40–60% rainfall deficits, the row exposes a rare fault line within Karnataka's ruling party.
Key Takeaways
JD(S) on 21 September 2026 used a letter by senior Congress MLA H.K.
Patil to allege administrative inaction by the Karnataka government on drought.
Patil warned he will resign as MLA if taluks in his Gadag constituency are not declared drought-hit.
27 of 73 taluks in the Kittur Karnataka region have reportedly not been declared drought-hit despite rainfall deficits of 40 to 60 per cent .
Patil alleged officials are 'distorting facts' and taking decisions that violate guidelines set at a meeting chaired by CM D.K.
JD(S) accused the government of a Bengaluru-centric approach, leaving North Karnataka farmers without adequate relief.
The Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) on Monday, 21 September 2026, levelled sharp allegations of administrative inaction against the Karnataka Congress government, citing a letter written by senior Congress MLA from Gadag, H.K. Patil, which raised serious concerns about the state's handling of a severe drought crisis. JD(S) alleged that Patil's own words exposed the government's failure to respond adequately to the distress of farmers across drought-affected regions.
What Patil's Letter Said
In his letter addressed to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, former minister H.K. Patil — who was left out of the state Cabinet — alleged that officials of the Statistics Department were not following his directions on crop insurance and were 'distorting facts for their convenience.' He wrote that decisions were being taken 'in violation of the guidelines and the decisions taken at the meeting chaired by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.'
Patil stated that 27 of the 73 taluks in the Kittur Karnataka region had not been declared drought-hit, calling the omission an 'anti-farmer approach' that was 'damaging the image of the government.' He went further, warning that if the taluks in the Gadag constituency, which he represents, are not declared drought-hit, he would resign as MLA. He also urged the government to revisit the existing guidelines for declaring areas drought-hit.
JD(S) Allegations Against the Government
In a post on social media platform X, JD(S) seized on Patil's letter, alleging that the government machinery was not responding adequately to the concerns of farmers. The party claimed that several taluks recording rainfall deficits of between 40 and 60 per cent had still not been officially declared drought-hit.
'While there has been no adequate rainfall and the deficit is between 40 and 60 per cent, officials appear to be dreaming that farmers in 27 taluks are prosperous,' JD(S) alleged. The party also criticised what it termed a Bengaluru-centric approach to administration, arguing that officials in air-conditioned offices were deciding the fate of farmers in North Karnataka.
JD(S) further questioned the pace of official communication in the digital age, asking: 'Is this an IT-BT state or Stone Age administration?' The party alleged that official communications were reportedly taking several days to reach their destinations — a claim that underscores broader concerns about administrative responsiveness in the affected districts.
Political Significance of the Intra-Congress Criticism
Notably, the criticism gains additional weight because it originates from within the ruling party itself. Patil, a senior Congress legislator who was reportedly passed over for a Cabinet berth, alleged in his letter that officials were 'tarnishing the image of the government' — a phrase JD(S) highlighted as particularly damaging. The party questioned what more could be said about the administration's functioning after such a statement from a Congress MLA.
JD(S) also pointed to what it described as a breakdown in the Chief Minister's authority, alleging that Patil's letter itself raised the question of whether Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar was running the government or whether officials in Bengaluru were effectively calling the shots.
What Happens Next
JD(S) has urged the government to take Patil's concerns seriously and address the difficulties faced by farmers in drought-affected regions. The Congress government is yet to formally respond to either Patil's letter or JD(S)'s allegations. With the drought situation still unresolved and a senior ruling-party MLA threatening resignation, the political pressure on the Shivakumar administration is likely to intensify in the coming days.
Point of View
With its explicit charge that officials are 'distorting facts' and defying the Chief Minister's own meeting decisions, suggests a breakdown of command that no opposition party could have fabricated. The Shivakumar government faces a compounding problem: a drought declaration process that critics say under-counts affected taluks, a senior MLA ready to resign, and an administrative machinery that a ruling-party insider is publicly accusing of insubordination. For a government already managing coalition pressures, this is a credibility test it cannot afford to fail.
NationPress
21 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is H.K. Patil at the centre of Karnataka's drought row?
Senior Congress MLA H.K. Patil from Gadag wrote a letter to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar alleging that officials were not following his directions, were distorting facts, and had left 27 taluks in the Kittur Karnataka region out of the drought declaration despite rainfall deficits of 40 to 60 per cent. He has threatened to resign as MLA if the situation is not corrected.
How many taluks in Karnataka are in dispute over the drought declaration?
According to Patil's letter, 27 of the 73 taluks in the Kittur Karnataka region have not been declared drought-hit, despite recording rainfall deficits of between 40 and 60 per cent. JD(S) has alleged that the official assessment is inadequate and politically motivated.
What has JD(S) alleged about the Karnataka government's response to the drought?
JD(S) alleged on 21 September 2026 that the government machinery has not responded adequately to farmer concerns, that a Bengaluru-centric administration is deciding the fate of North Karnataka farmers, and that official communication is reportedly taking several days to reach destinations — an inefficiency the party labelled 'Stone Age administration.'
What is the political significance of Patil's criticism?
Patil is a senior Congress legislator who was reportedly left out of the state Cabinet. His letter criticising his own government's officials — and his threat to resign — provides the opposition, particularly JD(S), with an unusually credible line of attack, since the source is a ruling-party insider rather than an opponent.
What has the Karnataka government said in response?
As of 21 September 2026, the Karnataka Congress government had not formally responded to either Patil's letter or JD(S)'s allegations. The situation remains unresolved, with pressure mounting on the Shivakumar administration to revise its drought assessment and address farmer concerns in the affected taluks.
