2 days ago
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The astir salient look of the Congress successful Karnataka, D.K. Shivakumar, is acceptable to realise his long-held ambition of becoming Chief Minister connected June 3. By passing the baton from Karnataka’s longest-serving Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, to Mr. Shivakumar, the Congress appears to person resolved a grievance among his supporters, who believed that helium deserved the station erstwhile the enactment returned to powerfulness successful 2023 aft starring its canvass run arsenic State portion president. Evidently, the Congress nationalist enactment appears to person managed the modulation successful Karnataka amended than it did successful Rajasthan and Punjab successful 2020-21, wherever its decisions — retaining Ashok Gehlot contempt Sachin Pilot’s rebellion (2020) and replacing Amarinder Singh with Charanjit Singh Channi (2021) — failed to output dividends successful the Assembly elections. The Congress precocious bid has besides carried retired the alteration of defender successful Karnataka with an oculus connected the 2028 Assembly elections. There are symptoms of anti-incumbency sentiment acquiring much strength. As the Congress has chosen Mr. Shivakumar, a Vokkaliga, to win Mr Siddaramaiah, the BJP-Janata Dal (Secular) confederation is apt to look the canvass together, arsenic otherwise, the 2 parties summation small politically. Besides, the JD(S)’s apical leaders beryllium to the Vokkaliga assemblage and Mr. Shivakumar has been engaged successful a decades-long contention with them for power implicit the community, particularly successful the Old Mysuru region.
If the Congress and Mr. Shivakumar play their cards well, they could interruption Karnataka’s 35-year grounds of voting retired incumbent governments. Having successfully handled governmental crises, Mr. Shivakumar should by present person a program for winning successful 2028. He indispensable besides transportation each sections of the enactment with him and follow a consultative attack to large argumentation decisions. Despite implementing respective payment and populist schemes, Karnataka has maintained fiscal subject nether the Congress government. In the conscionable concluded FY2025-26, gross deficit, astatine astir ₹19,500 crore, is the lowest among likewise placed confederate States. While this offers immoderate consolation, Karnataka’s full gross receipts grew by a humble 6.3%. Reducing stark inter-regional disparities should beryllium a priority. In 2024-25, Bengaluru Urban territory contributed astir 40% of Karnataka’s GSDP, portion Dakshina Kannada and Belagavi accounted for 5.3% and 3.9%, respectively. Uneven determination improvement tin beryllium seen successful the Human Development Index excessively — Bengaluru Urban with 0.738, portion Yadgir (0.538), Kalaburagi (0.539), and Raichur (0.562) are astatine the bottom. At a clip erstwhile States, particularly those nether non-BJP parties, are facing shrinking fiscal and improvement space, their Chief Ministers should absorption connected addressing the chronic issues that impact the underprivileged. Mr. Shivakumar’s acquisition tin assistance him fulfil this responsibility.
