The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, 12 June urged the state's Congress government to abandon any plans to privatise electricity distribution, warning that allowing private players into the sector could push farmers into open protest. The demand was made at the state BJP headquarters in Bengaluru.

BJP's Core Objection to Private Power Distribution

Former Deputy Chief Minister and Member of Parliament Govind Karjol alleged that both the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) and the state government were generating anxiety among the farming community. He specifically claimed that a government plan to allow private companies — including Tata Power — to participate in electricity distribution could trigger widespread rural opposition.

Karjol argued that private firms, being profit-driven, would pass infrastructure maintenance costs directly onto farmers. 'Private companies work for profit. The government is already making farmers pay between ₹2.5 lakh and ₹3 lakh for IP set connections and transformer installations. Tomorrow, private companies may demand ₹4 lakh to ₹5 lakh for the same services,' he said.

BJP-Era Costs Versus Congress-Era Costs, Per Karjol

Karjol claimed that during the BJP government's tenure, farmers could obtain IP set connections and transformer installations by paying just ₹25,000 and submitting an application, without significant procedural hurdles. He alleged that in the three years since the Congress came to power, those costs had ballooned to between ₹2.5 lakh and ₹3 lakh — a claim the state government has not publicly responded to. This comparison, while politically framed, points to a broader dispute over agricultural power subsidies that has simmered in Karnataka for years.

Sriramulu Targets Congress Guarantee Schemes

Separately, former Karnataka minister B. Sriramulu levelled a fresh set of allegations against the Congress government, accusing it of attempting to roll back the very guarantee schemes it had used to win the 2023 state elections. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Sriramulu alleged that programmes such as Gruha Laxmi — a monthly cash transfer to women — were being curtailed under the pretext of verification and revision.

He claimed there were reports of Gruha Laxmi payments being credited to the accounts of deceased beneficiaries, pointing to what he described as serious implementation failures. 'The government itself admitted on the floor of the House that irregularities had taken place in the Gruha Laxmi scheme,' he alleged. 'The Congress offered the guarantees during the elections and came to power. Now it is hatching a conspiracy to withdraw them.'

Sriramulu also alleged that the free bus travel scheme for women — another Congress guarantee — was being curtailed, despite, he claimed, having been introduced without public demand and purely for electoral advantage.

Internal Congress Rifts Alleged

Sriramulu further alleged that a persistent cold war between former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and current Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar over power and leadership had intensified following Shivakumar's elevation. He cited reported dissatisfaction among ministers, alleging that Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, senior Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy, and Minister K.H. Muniyappa were all unhappy with their portfolio allocations.

'The government is surviving solely because of Rahul Gandhi. After D.K. Shivakumar became Chief Minister, nothing seems to be functioning properly, and the people of Karnataka are aware of it,' Sriramulu alleged. He also made a pointed reference to Shivakumar's conduct at the Samarpana Yatra in Kanakapura, alleging that the Chief Minister had thrown a half-eaten apple toward the crowd — a gesture Sriramulu interpreted as symbolic of the government's attitude toward citizens.

Dharmasthala and the SIT Probe

On a separate matter, Karjol addressed questions about Dharmasthala, describing it as a sacred pilgrimage centre and urging the government to resolve the ongoing issue — currently under investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) — at the earliest. He did not elaborate on the specifics of the probe.

With assembly elections still years away, the BJP's dual offensive — on power privatisation and guarantee scheme rollbacks — signals an early attempt to reclaim the rural and women voter base it lost in 2023. Whether the Congress government formally responds to these allegations will be closely watched in the coming days.