Chief Minister Siddaramaiah used the Karnataka Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting to instruct party MLAs to cease all public commentary and avoid generating confusion regarding the alleged power-sharing arrangement, according to sources.
The meeting was chaired by Siddaramaiah and saw the attendance of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, along with ministers and other legislators.
Congress MLAs reportedly told the leadership that while the government's guarantee schemes were welcome, they were insufficient on their own; an equal emphasis on development work was urgently needed, sources revealed.
Specifically, legislators requested additional grants beyond the existing ₹25-50 crore allocation, pushing for a major focus on road construction and pothole repairs across the state, including Bengaluru. Further, MLAs voiced strong dissatisfaction with bureaucratic performance, alleging that their instructions were being ignored and assigned works were left incomplete. They also flagged instances of officials delaying files and reports of corruption during the meeting.
The legislators urged the Chief Minister to personally intervene to ensure prompt action and compliance from the state bureaucracy.
Party sources indicate that Siddaramaiah assured the MLAs that the promised ₹50 crore per legislator would be released in phases and committed to addressing the matter with the Finance Department.
Siddaramaiah also tasked the party legislators with forcefully countering the opposition's critiques, particularly on issues related to north Karnataka and the troubles faced by sugarcane and maize farmers. He asserted that the Centre had failed to support the farmers and alleged that the BJP was trying to incite them against the state government despite the administration’s relief efforts.
To aid their defense against opposition attacks, sources said that a detailed handout outlining the Congress government’s contributions to north Karnataka and its actions on farmer-related issues was distributed to the legislators.
The meeting took place amid persistent speculation regarding a potential leadership change in the state, especially after the Congress government reached the halfway point of its five-year term on November 20. This speculation stems from an alleged 2023 power-sharing agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
Also read: Siddaramaiah visits Shivakumar's residence for breakfast
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