The Chief Minister's Office of Karnataka marked the completion of three years of the Congress government in the state on Monday, 25 May 2026, crediting every Kannadiga for the administration's achievements and reaffirming its commitment to the five pre-election guarantees. Posting in Kannada, the official CMO account declared: 'ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಜನರ ಆಶೀರ್ವಾದದೊಂದಿಗೆ ನಾವು ಅಧಿಕಾರಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದು ಮೂರು ವರ್ಷಗಳು ಪೂರೈಸಿರುವ ಈ ಸಾರ್ಥಕ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ' ('On this meaningful occasion of completing three years in power with the blessings of the people of the state'). The credit for all government achievements, the post stated, belongs to every Kannadiga.

Context

The Karnataka Congress government under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah came to power following the May 2023 assembly elections, in which the party campaigned heavily on a set of five welfare guarantees. The three-year milestone, marked under the hashtag #3YearsOfNavaKarnataka, provides the administration an opportunity to publicly account for its delivery record against those promises. The CMO post specifically highlighted that the government had stayed true to 'every word given to the people before the elections.'

Policy Backdrop

The 5 Guarantees — covering women's financial support, free rice for households, a youth employment allowance, free bus travel for women, and electricity subsidies — were central to the Congress campaign and were formally notified after the party's election victory. Among these, the Shakti scheme, which provides free travel on state-run buses to women for purposes including employment, education, and daily commuting, has emerged as one of the most operationally visible programmes. The CMO post stated that under Shakti, 726 crore free tickets have been distributed so far, with a government grant of ₹18,943 crore spent on the scheme. These figures are government claims and have not been independently verified. The post noted that women travelling for work, education, and other purposes have 'truly empowered the transport system of the Shakti state.'

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of the Shakti scheme are women commuters across Karnataka, particularly those in rural and semi-urban areas who depend on state-run Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation buses for daily mobility. Analysts and welfare researchers have noted that free or subsidised transport for women has been linked to higher female labour-force participation in states that have adopted similar models. Several Indian states have introduced comparable schemes since 2021, and Karnataka's version is frequently cited as one of the larger-scale implementations in the country. Rural households also benefit indirectly through the broader basket of guarantees, including subsidised rice and power.

What's Next

With the 2028 Karnataka assembly elections on the horizon, the government's ability to sustain expenditure on all five guarantees will be closely watched, particularly as state budget allocations for 2026-27 come under scrutiny. The scale of Shakti scheme spending — nearly ₹19,000 crore over three years by the government's own account — will likely feature in debates over fiscal sustainability and welfare prioritisation. The three-year review also sets the political tone for mid-term messaging, with the ruling party positioning delivery on guarantees as its core electoral credential heading into the next cycle.