Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday, 7 November 2026 demanded that all recruitment examinations being conducted by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) be postponed until the commission is completely reformed and transparency is ensured in its functioning. Speaking at the JD(S) central office, JP Bhavan in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy also issued a Deepavali message to the Congress-led state government, urging it to abandon what he called 'politics of hatred, caste, and vendetta.'

KPSC Exam Postponement Demand

Kumaraswamy specifically called on the state government to postpone the 15 November examination for the recruitment of 319 Gazetted Probationers (KAS) posts. He cited ongoing probes by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) — constituted on directions from the High Court — into alleged examination and recruitment irregularities at the KPSC over the past three to four years. Financial transactions linked to the alleged irregularities have also reportedly come to light, he claimed.

'Under these circumstances, I have no confidence that the commission can conduct examinations and recruitments transparently and honestly. Several job aspirants have also expressed similar concerns,' Kumaraswamy said. He further noted that a reform committee led by former Minister R.V. Deshpande had not yet submitted its report, and that candidates were already protesting at Freedom Park.

Allegations Against the Congress Government

Kumaraswamy trained his criticism on what he described as the state government's poor financial management and neglect of farmers. He alleged the Karnataka government owes contractors ₹39,000 crore for completed works, yet the Karnataka Cabinet approved fresh road development projects worth ₹26,000 crore. 'It is ridiculous to announce new projects without clearing the dues for works already completed,' he said.

He also alleged that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had announced ₹2,500 compensation for farmers through a press conference specifically to divert public attention from mounting anger over a bus fare hike. On the farm distress front, Kumaraswamy alleged that insurance companies were cheating farmers even after they had paid their premiums, while the state government had failed to release its matching contribution towards crop insurance in the face of a drought situation.

Package Contracting and Local Contractor Concerns

Kumaraswamy alleged that the state government had introduced a package-based contracting system that sidelined local contractors, awarding contracts instead to companies from Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. This, he claimed, was driving the bank accounts of Karnataka contractors into the non-performing asset (NPA) category — a concern that cuts across both economic and political lines in a state with a large construction sector.

Credit War Over Ramanagara Institutions

The Union Minister also took objection to Congress leaders allegedly claiming credit for medical institutions and projects in Ramanagara. He said it was during his tenure as Karnataka Chief Minister in 2006 that the decision to shift Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences to Ramanagara was taken, along with the allocation of funds. He added that approval for a medical college in Kanakapura was granted during the JD(S)-Congress coalition government, and that the Dayananda Sagar Medical Colleges in Chamundeshwari and Harohalli were privately established institutions with no Congress contribution.

Congress Leaders Join JD(S) in Kunigal

In a parallel political development at the same event, more than 20 prominent Congress leaders from the Kunigal Assembly constituency formally joined the Janata Dal (Secular) in the presence of Kumaraswamy and former Minister D. Nagarajaiah. Among those switching allegiance were former Zilla Panchayat members Kempegowda, Shivashankar, Narayanappa, Kempahanumaiah, Suresh, JCB Girish, Lakshmana, Renukaiah, Nanjegowda, Ramakrishnappa, Vasantharaju, Manu, Shivakumar, Naganna, Ganganna, Ramesh, and Shivanna. Senior Kunigal leaders Ravi and Jagadish, along with Greater Bengaluru JD(S) President H.M. Ramesh Gowda, were also present.

This comes amid a broader Opposition push against the Karnataka Congress government ahead of the next electoral cycle, with Kumaraswamy using the occasion of Deepavali to sharpen his party's accountability messaging. Whether the state government responds to the KPSC postponement demand — or proceeds with the 15 November examination — will be closely watched by thousands of job aspirants across Karnataka.