Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], January 6 : BJP Karnataka on Tuesday took a dig at CM Siddaramaiah as he completed 2,792 days in office, equalling D Devaraj Urs' record, who served as Chief Minister between 1972 and 1977, and again from 1978 to 1980.
In a post on X, BJP Karnataka begins with a sarcastic congratulation to the outgoing Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, painting a picture not of triumph, but of a tenure marked by survival - "limping, crawling, and fearing resignation."
The opposition highlighted immediate missteps and long-term systemic failures, categorised into a legacy of alleged corruption, appeasement, and administrative collapse.
"Outgoing CM@siddaramaiah. Hey, you have finally become the CM for the longest time, limping, crawling, and fearing resignation. So, first of all, our congratulations to you. At this time, let us reminisce about your great achievements during your tenure as CM," read the post.
The Karnataka BJP asserted that the administration's priorities were skewed from the very start. Within days of assuming power, the post claimed that the government prioritised ideological battles over public welfare--specifically citing the controversial celebration of Tipu Jayanti.
"Within a few days of becoming CM, you decided to celebrate the fanatic Tipu Jayanti by the government!! Within a few days of becoming CM, you brought about an unprecedented drought in Karnataka!! You nailed the capable Lokayukta and established a weak ACB!! You gave death to efficient senior officers!! You gave a boost to excessive politics of appeasement!! You lathicharged Mahadayi activists!! You created an environment conducive to the killing of many Hindu activists in the state!!"
Simultaneously, the text alleged that the state was plunged into an unprecedented drought, implying a lack of preparedness. Culturally, the administration is accused of fostering division, from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat controversy to allegedly inciting fanaticism (referencing the "Aurangzeb cutout" and "Pakistan Zindabad" incidents).
A central theme of this post is economic mismanagement and broken promises. The post highlighted the accumulation of the "highest loan in history," accusing the leadership of bankrupting the state to fund "unrealistic guarantees."
It painted a grim picture for farmers, citing 4,257 suicides in the first term, increased borewell charges, and land grab accusations involving the Waqf Board. They took a jibe at the socialist image of the CM, contrasting it with "expensive Hublot watches."
"In your first term as CM, 4257 farmers of Karnataka committed suicide!! They set fire to the community by calling it Veerashaiva-Lingayat!!. They took the highest loan in the history of Karnataka!! They wore expensive Hublot watches by calling themselves socialists!! They stayed away from Gowda-Lingayat-Brahmin (Jilebi) files!! They committed the Arkavati layout re-do scam!! They implemented unrealistic guarantees in an unwise manner!! They took huge loans and bankrupted Karnataka!!"
The text critiques the "re-do scam" in Arkavati layout and claims development funds (SCSP/TSP) were diverted. Major accusations include the MUDA scam (illegal land grabbing), the Valmiki Corporation's siphoning of ₹187 crore, and bribery schemes in excise license renewals.
"They illegally grabbed 14 sites in Muda!! They siphoned off ₹187 crore in Maharishi Valmiki Corporation!! They diverted Cauvery to Stalin's land!! They ignored Kannadigas and distributed houses to Wayanad!! They blamed the central government for their failures!! They shouted "Zindabad" for Pakistan in the Vidhan Soudha!! They created a conducive environment for terrorists to be given immunity!! They incited the fanatic to put up a cutout of Aurangzeb!! They misused the SCSP/TSP money for Dalits!! They fed wormy food to children!! They lathicharged on Panchamasali people!! They cheated the drought and flood refugees by not providing them with compensation!! They made a scam in the kit given to the workers and asked for bribes from the house that was distributed to the poor!!"
The BJP post also highlighted complex web of alleged financial scandals, portraying an administration rife with graft: The 60% Commission Charge, escalating previous allegations, the text claims the commission demand from contractors hit 60%.
"They dismissed the case of SDPI/PFI fanatics!! They extended their hand to the contractors for 60 percent commission!! They sketched the land grab of farmers in the name of Waqf!! In the name of Excise License Renewal, they have set up a bribery scheme!! "
The post concludes with a dark view of the state's safety and moral fabric. It alleges the dismantling of anti-corruption bodies (weakening the Lokayukta for the ACB) and a deterioration of law and order. It further blamed the government for an environment leading to the deaths of "efficient senior officers" and Hindu activists.
It accused the state of becoming a "land of drugs" and providing immunity to groups like the PFI/SDPI and visceral images of "wormy food" given to children and contaminated water supplied to the poor.
The post closes by framing these years not as a time of governance, but as a series of betrayals against the people--from the "spilled money of Hindu temples" to the neglected Kannadigas. It presented a verdict of total failure, where the administration is seen as having blamed the central government for its own inability to govern.
"They have looted the money of Grihalakshmi!! They have increased the prices of all the items!! They have increased the TC charges of farmers' borewells!! They have hatched a conspiracy to close Janaushadhi Kendras!! They have tried to rob the people through the smart meter scam!! They have turned Karnataka, which was the land of sandalwood, into a land of drugs!! Asking the artists for a simple "what"!! The money from the Hindu temples was "spilled"!! Dakota buses were donated to the transport department!! Luxury flats were distributed to illegal residents of Kogilu!! Water rates were increased - tax was imposed on garbage!! The fate of the mothers was "spilled"!! The 10 kg rice of the food allowance was not given to them!! The hate speech act was implemented!! Kannadigas were murdered at the RCB victory celebration!! The poor were made to drink contaminated water and die!! Parappana Agrahara was turned into a luxury resort!! These are the achievements we have seen before our eyes!! If any other achievement is left out, please mention it."
This comes amid the speculations about a change in the state's Chief Minister, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term.
The row over Karnataka Chief Minister's post is an ongoing power struggle within the Congress. The controversy began when the government reached its halfway mark, sparking speculation about a possible leadership change.
Key players include Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and Home Minister G Parameshwara, who is also a prominent Dalit leader.