D K Shivakumar’s populist approach was evident within hours of him assuming charge as the new Chief Minister of Karnataka. Among the raft of the new measures announced were free bus passes for all students, a ₹2,000-crore grant for improving roads in Bengaluru, a private employment exchange system, establishment of 10,000 Bharat Jodo youth associations and initiatives to address the concerns of those building houses. But below the layers of hope and excitement, the new CM and his administration face a number of challenges—administratively and politically—including mobilising resources for the ongoing and new schemes, and implementing them effectively.
Shivakumar, keen on getting his government out of predecessor Siddaramaiah’s shadow, may announce more initiatives in the days to come. But the real challenge would be in continuing the Congress’s flagship guarantee schemes promised before the elections that require over ₹50,000 crore in annual allocations. Adding to the challenge will be funding the other initiatives launched in the last three years and the fresh programmes announced now. Most importantly, resources would need to be generated for all of them without burdening the people further.
Taking the bureaucracy into confidence to ensure the effective implementation of these programmes would be no mean task. Officials, especially those at the district and taluk levels, play a pivotal role in shaping public opinion. All the grand plans at the top may not yield the desired outcomes if the government fails to ensure responsive, accountable and non-partisan delivery of the promised services at all levels, even as Bengaluru’s development and its sustainability remain a huge problem.
Providing corruption-free governance is a top priority for Shivakumar—but it will be a Herculean task. Justice B Veerappa, the Karnataka Upalokayukta, recently pointed to corruption spreading across every state department and warned that a failure to curb the menace could lead to dangerous consequences. The other big challenge for the new CM comes from the state Congress party’s internal dynamics. With former CM Siddaramaiah remaining active in Karnataka politics, the new CM and the party face an undesirable scenario fraught with the uncertainties of dealing with two power centres. Politically, that would be the most consequential challenge for the new CM. With just under two years to prove his mettle as CM, it’s clear that Shivakumar faces a race against time.
