BENGALURU: The Siddaramaiah budget on Friday drew criticism from opposition parties, with NDA leaders of the BJP and JDS accusing the Congress government of pushing Karnataka toward rising debt while failing to prioritise long-term development.
State BJP president BY Vijayendra described the budget as lacking vision and warned that Karnataka was heading toward an economic precipice. Vijayendra said Siddaramaiah’s 17th budget resembled a “clerical exercise” rather than a comprehensive policy roadmap for the state.
Calling it a “sweet nothing”, Vijayendra alleged that the budget relied on “flowery language” without presenting substantive policy direction. He also accused the government of masking fiscal stress by increasingly relying on borrowings. Citing official figures, Vijayendra said borrowings stood at Rs 85,818 crore in 2023-24, increased to Rs 1.05 lakh crore in 2024-25, and further rose to Rs 1.16 lakh crore in 2025-26.
The latest budget proposes fresh borrowings of around Rs 1.32 lakh crore, which he said would push the state’s overall debt close to Rs 8.34 lakh crore. “The most experienced Chief Minister, who has presented 16 budgets earlier, is now leading the state toward an irreversible debt trap,” Vijayendra thundered
Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka echoed similar concerns, accusing the Congress government of burdening the people with unprecedented debt while offering little in terms of tangible development. He described the budget as a “borrow-and-feast” exercise that contained few major development initiatives and depended heavily on loans.
Ashoka also warned that the fiscal deficit had reached nearly Rs 97,000 crore and cautioned that Karnataka’s total debt could soon cross Rs 10 lakh crore if the current borrowing trend continued.
He also criticised what he described as inadequate attention to Bengaluru’s civic challenges, including waste management and deteriorating roads.
“Bengaluru contributes the highest revenue to the state but has not received the attention it deserves in the budget,” Ashoka said.
Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy also launched a sharp attack on the budget, calling it a “harsh and burdensome document” that could deepen the state’s financial crisis.
Kumaraswamy also alleged that borrowed funds were not being used for productive investments but were instead benefiting Congress functionaries. “Despite heavy borrowing, capital expenditure has not increased significantly over the past three years,” he said, accusing the government of turning the administration into a patronage centre for party workers.