New Delhi, May 29 (H.S.): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday accused the ruling Congress government in Karnataka of bringing development activities in the state to a halt due to an ongoing power struggle between senior party leaders. The BJP alleged that over the past three years, the government has become synonymous not with governance and development, but with the tussle for power between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar.

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya, in a social media post on Friday, said the Karnataka government remained consumed by factionalism, succession politics, and personal political ambitions, while public issues were pushed to the background. He claimed that due to this internal conflict, infrastructure spending in the state had been reduced by ₹5,229 crore and the financial condition of the state had continued to deteriorate.

Citing a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Malviya stated that Karnataka’s fiscal deficit had risen from ₹46,623 crore to ₹65,522 crore within a year, while the state’s borrowings had climbed to nearly ₹63,000 crore. He further alleged that the revenue deficit had also crossed ₹9,271 crore.

He claimed that development work across the state had come to a standstill, with more than 3,140 infrastructure projects remaining incomplete and payments exceeding ₹30,000 crore pending to contractors across eight departments. According to him, delays in conducting local body elections could also deprive Karnataka of nearly ₹6,000 crore in grants annually.

Describing the Congress government as a victim of “administrative paralysis,” Malviya said the administration had become so preoccupied with internal infighting that governance and public welfare were suffering significantly. The BJP further asserted that if the situation continues, the people of Karnataka would deliver a strong response in the 2028 Assembly elections.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar