Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday, 19 May inaugurated the 'Three Years of Achievement Dedication Convention' in Tumakuru, Karnataka, marking the completion of three years of the Congress government in the state under his second term. The event was organised by the Tumakuru district administration and the Zilla Panchayat, and Siddaramaiah also unveiled the 'Nava Karnataka' development model exhibition and laid foundation stones for projects worth ₹682 crore in the district.

Key Developments at the Convention

The mega convention was held under the leadership of Home Minister G. Parameshwara and supervised by Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, along with all Cabinet ministers and MLAs, attended the event. Siddaramaiah credited Parameshwara and Gowda for organising the event 'meaningfully and voluntarily.'

Promises Fulfilled and Pending

Siddaramaiah stated that the Congress government has fulfilled more than 290 promises out of the 580 assurances made in the party's election manifesto, which was prepared under the chairmanship of G. Parameshwara. He assured that the remaining commitments would be implemented within the next two years. The five guarantee schemes, he noted, were delivered immediately after the government assumed office.

'We have worked for the development of people belonging to all castes and religions. We have strengthened poor people across communities. Unlike the BJP, we did not indulge in divisive politics in the name of caste and religion,' Siddaramaiah said.

Karnataka Model vs Gujarat Model

Taking a direct swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Siddaramaiah claimed the 'Karnataka model of development' was superior to the 'Gujarat model.' 'The BJP has been in power in Gujarat for 35 years, but real development has not taken place there,' he asserted. He cited a reported incident in Gujarat — where a landlord allegedly sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl from a poor tenant family over unpaid rent of ₹2,500 — as, in his words, reflective of 'the true Gujarat model.' The BJP has not responded to these remarks.

Attacks on the Centre and Prime Minister Modi

Siddaramaiah also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over rising fuel and commodity prices, claiming that diesel, petrol, and gold prices were significantly lower before Modi assumed office. 'The poor and middle class have suffered,' he said. He further alleged that people who once supported Modi were now disillusioned due to inflation and unemployment.

On the NEET examination system, Siddaramaiah accused the NDA government of mishandling the process, stating that the Centre had rejected Karnataka's suggestion to adopt a model similar to the state's own CET system. He also alleged that BJP-RSS governance had raised the country's debt burden to ₹220 lakh crore, and that promises — including creating two crore jobs annually, doubling farmers' income, and repatriating black money — remained unfulfilled.

Karnataka's Economic Ranking and 2028 Outlook

Highlighting the state's economic performance, Siddaramaiah said Karnataka ranked number one in per capita income and was making a significant contribution to the country's GST collections. 'Karnataka's per capita income is higher than the national average. Since we have delivered on our commitments, the Congress party will return to power again in the 2028 Assembly elections,' he asserted. Quoting poet Kuvempu, he said the government would continue to strengthen Karnataka as a 'garden of peace for all communities' and pursue constitutional development.