Pralhad Joshi slams Congress over Siddaramaiah exit, calls it 'insult to OBCs'
Synopsis
BJP's Pralhad Joshi has turned Siddaramaiah's exit into a caste-politics flashpoint, alleging that Congress — which governs four states — now has no OBC Chief Minister left. The Rajiv Gandhi–Veerendra Patil parallel he invoked is deliberately pointed, and the 'ATM' jibe signals BJP's intent to make the Karnataka transition a national narrative about Congress's relationship with backward communities.
Key Takeaways
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi attacked Congress on Thursday over Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah 's resignation, calling it an insult to OBCs.
Joshi alleged that among four Congress-governed states , Chief Ministers in three belong to upper castes — Siddaramaiah was the only OBC CM.
He drew a parallel between Rahul Gandhi 's treatment of Siddaramaiah and Rajiv Gandhi 's removal of former Karnataka CM Veerendra Patil .
Joshi accused the Congress government of hiking fuel prices three times and implementing 'unscientific guarantee schemes' that weakened Karnataka's economy.
The Union Minister defended Centre's financial record, citing allocations under Jal Jeevan Mission , 15th Finance Commission , and GST compensation.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday launched a pointed attack on the Congress party over the resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, alleging the development amounted to an insult to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community and exposed the party's chronic internal dysfunction. Joshi made the remarks while speaking to reporters in Mangaluru.
Joshi's Core Allegation
'Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's resignation is a gift given by LoP Rahul Gandhi to the OBC community,' Joshi said. He accused the Congress leadership of publicly championing backward-class causes while simultaneously sidelining OBC leaders in practice.
'Every day, Congress leaders speak loudly about OBCs. But today, they have removed and humiliated the only OBC Chief Minister they had,' Joshi alleged. He pointed out that among the four states currently governed by the Congress, Chief Ministers in three states belong to upper castes — making Siddaramaiah the sole OBC occupant of a Congress chief ministerial chair.
The Rajiv Gandhi Parallel
Joshi drew a sharp historical comparison, invoking the treatment of former Karnataka Chief Minister Veerendra Patil by the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. 'Just as Rajiv Gandhi humiliated Veerendra Patil by removing him from the Chief Minister's post, LoP Rahul Gandhi has now humiliated Siddaramaiah by forcing him out of office,' he charged. The comparison is politically loaded — Patil's removal remains a sensitive episode in Karnataka's political memory.
Attack on Karnataka's Economic Record
Joshi also pushed back against Siddaramaiah's farewell remarks, in which the outgoing Chief Minister reportedly blamed the Centre for Karnataka's financial condition. The Union Minister rejected the charge, arguing that the Congress government had itself weakened the state's economy through what he called 'unscientific guarantee schemes' and an overriding focus on satisfying the party high command.
He alleged that the state government raised prices of several commodities and hiked fuel prices three times despite no supply shortage, burdening ordinary citizens. 'The Congress high command and LoP Rahul Gandhi used Siddaramaiah like an ATM,' Joshi alleged.
Centre's Financial Assistance Record
Joshi stated that the Centre had provided detailed clarifications on multiple occasions regarding financial assistance to Karnataka, citing allocations under the Jal Jeevan Mission, 15th Finance Commission grants, GST compensation, and other economic support measures. 'Despite repeated clarifications from the Centre regarding fund releases, blaming the Union government is not correct,' he said.
Broader Political Context
The Siddaramaiah resignation marks a significant moment in Karnataka politics, coming after nearly three years of Congress rule that Joshi described as marked by 'anarchy, instability, mistrust, and confusion.' The leadership transition raises questions about whether the incoming Chief Minister will command the same OBC political constituency that Siddaramaiah had built over decades. All allegations made by Joshi represent the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s political position and have not been independently verified; the Congress party's response was not immediately available.
Point of View
The BJP attempts to drive a wedge between Congress and the backward-class voters who were central to the party's 2023 Karnataka win. The Veerendra Patil invocation is not accidental — it is a reminder of a wound that still resonates in Karnataka's Vokkaliga and OBC belts. What the BJP's narrative glosses over, however, is that its own record of OBC Chief Ministers at the Centre and in states is uneven. The real question is whether Karnataka's new Congress leadership can hold Siddaramaiah's OBC coalition together — and whether the BJP can credibly claim to be its alternative.
NationPress
13 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Pralhad Joshi call Siddaramaiah's resignation an insult to OBCs?
Joshi argued that Siddaramaiah was the only OBC Chief Minister among the four states governed by Congress, and his removal by the party leadership amounted to sidelining backward-class representation. He alleged Congress uses OBC rhetoric for political convenience while denying OBC leaders positions of power.
What is the Veerendra Patil comparison Joshi made?
Joshi compared Rahul Gandhi's handling of Siddaramaiah to Rajiv Gandhi's removal of former Karnataka Chief Minister Veerendra Patil, framing both as instances of Congress humiliating OBC leaders from Karnataka. The Patil episode remains a politically sensitive reference in the state.
What did Joshi say about Karnataka's financial condition?
Joshi rejected Siddaramaiah's claim that the Centre was responsible for Karnataka's financial stress, arguing the Congress government had weakened the state's economy through 'unscientific guarantee schemes' and three rounds of fuel price hikes. He cited Centre's allocations under Jal Jeevan Mission, 15th Finance Commission grants, and GST compensation as evidence of adequate federal support.
Who is likely to succeed Siddaramaiah as Karnataka Chief Minister?
The source material does not name a successor. The Congress party's internal deliberations on the next Karnataka Chief Minister were ongoing at the time of Joshi's remarks.
What is the broader political significance of Siddaramaiah's exit?
Siddaramaiah's departure ends a tenure of nearly three years and removes Congress's only OBC Chief Minister across all its state governments, according to Joshi's count. The transition is expected to test whether the incoming leadership can retain the backward-class voter base that was key to Congress's 2023 Karnataka assembly election victory.
