KALABURAGI: Results of elections to four Legislative Council seats and by-elections to two assembly seats will not be a referendum on the performance of the State government, Opposition leader in the assembly Siddaramaiah said here on Monday.
Answering a question at a press conference here, Siddaramaiah said that though the result of elections to four Council seats and two Assembly seats will not act as a referendum on the government’s performance, it would certainly be an indicator of the mood of the people on the government’s performance.
Siddaramaiah said that both the State and Union governments have failed to provide relief to the flood-hit people of the state, and also handle the pandemic.
CM B S Yediyurappa made an aerial survey of the flood-hit villages of Kalyana Karnataka region a few days ago, and held a meeting with officers of the region at Kalaburagi Airport. “Though he was at Kalaburagi airport, he did not visit flood-affected villages or meet any public representatives of flood-affected constituencies,” Siddaramaiah said. The government has not given a single paisa to flood-affected people this year or last year, he said.
‘Keep deficit under 3 %’
Siddaramaiah slammed the BJP for burdening people with liabilities and challenged the party to an open debate about fiscal performance.
“Let them decide the place and time, and I will come,” he said. Siddaramaiah, who has presented a record 13 budgets advised, “Fiscal deficit should be under 3 % of GSDP, and I had maintained it within limits.” He alleged that the BJP was increasing fiscal deficit from 3% to 5%, which is dangerous.
He suggested they keep it it at 3.5 %. He taunted Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman for rejecting proposed compensation of Rs 5,495 crore due to Karnataka, and said the state’s share in devolution of funds was reduced from 4.71 to 3.64 after recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission.