BENGALURU: Strongly condemning Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s claims of having broken the administrative record of former chief minister Devaraj Urs, BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra launched a scathing attack, alleging that Siddaramaiah’s tenure has been marked not by achievements but by corruption, scams, and a complete breakdown of governance and law and order.
Addressing a press conference, Vijayendra questioned Siddaramaiah’s real contribution to the state, apart from presiding over what he described as a series of scandals. “Corruption, scam after scam, misgovernance and deteriorating law and order these are the only ‘records’ Siddaramaiah has created,” he alleged.
Vijayendra said Siddaramaiah could not be compared with Devaraj Urs in any manner. “Urs was the voice of the voiceless. He implemented revolutionary reforms and transformative laws that reshaped Karnataka. Ironically, it was the Congress party under Indira Gandhi that humiliated him and forced him out of the chief minister’s post,” he said.
Recalling history, Vijayendra said it was Devaraj Urs who gave political rebirth to Indira Gandhi at a time when she had suffered a massive political setback. “Yet, the Congress ensured that Urs could not even complete his second term, effectively ending his political career. For the same Congress to celebrate breaking Urs’ record today is nothing but absurd,” he remarked. He added that the number of years Siddaramaiah served as chief minister was irrelevant; what mattered was what he delivered to the people of Karnataka.
Taking a personal dig, Vijayendra pointed out that Devaraj Urs was elected unopposed from Hunsur in 1962, while Siddaramaiah, after serving as chief minister from 2013 to 2018, lost the 2018 election from Chamundeshwari constituency by over 50,000 votes. “That itself shows the loss of public trust,” he said.
Vijayendra further alleged that Siddaramaiah did not rise to power through mass struggles or public movements.
“He became chief minister through political opportunism and sheer luck,” he claimed. He accused Siddaramaiah of being embroiled in the MUDA site scam during his second term, forcing him to return 14 sites. He also alleged that funds meant for the Scheduled Castes were illegally diverted and used during the Telangana elections.
Referring to the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede that claimed 11 innocent lives, Vijayendra alleged it was the result of Siddaramaiah’s obsession with self-promotion. He also accused the government of facilitating housing for illegal immigrants in the Kogilu layout case. “The list of Siddaramaiah’s ‘achievements’ is indeed long, but all in the wrong sense,” he said.
Echoing similar criticism, Mysuru–Kodagu MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar also reacted sharply, stating that while Siddaramaiah’s continuation as chief minister could be welcomed, the state had not witnessed the expected level of development despite his getting ample time.
Yaduveer Wadiyar said that more development should have taken place during Siddaramaiah’s tenure. “Airports are being developed in Shivamogga, Hubballi, Belagavi, Mangaluru and even in Kalyana Karnataka. But in Mysuru, despite land donated by our ancestors, not even a single runway has come up. The Mysuru airport expansion remains only an announcement, with no work on the ground,” he alleged.
He said Siddaramaiah had enough opportunity to focus on the comprehensive development of the state but failed to do so. Referring to multiple allegations against the government, Yaduveer said, “There are so many black marks on this government that it is impossible to count them. We have spoken about the MUDA scam, Valmiki Corporation irregularities, failures in the Gruha Lakshmi scheme and even the Mysuru drugs factory issue.”
He expressed shock that Maharashtra police had to conduct raids in Bengaluru to bust drug units. “This is a matter of shame for the state government,” he said.
