Centre’s Budget Ignores Karnataka, Favors Poll-Bound Bihar: Congress Leaders Slam BJP

Mangaluru: Karnataka Congress leaders have accused the BJP-led Central government of systematically neglecting the state in the Union Budget while showering financial benefits on poll-bound Bihar. Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee (DCC) president K. Harish Kumar criticized the Centre for failing to allocate substantial grants to Karnataka despite its significant contribution to the national exchequer. He also expressed disappointment over the absence of a farmers’ loan waiver in the Budget, terming it a deliberate oversight.

Echoing similar sentiments, MLC Manjunatha Bhandary called the Budget "hostile" to Karnataka and blamed BJP MPs for failing to secure funds for the state. He particularly criticized Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka, for not announcing a single major project for the state. The Congress leaders accused the BJP of using the Budget as an electoral tool to favor states where the party seeks political gains while ignoring Karnataka’s genuine development needs.