BENGALURU: Karnataka’s political tradition of marking a Chief Minister’s first 100 days in office is set to repeat itself once again, as DK Shivakumar prepares to complete a hundred days in power on September 10. The milestone, treated almost as a rite of passage by successive Karnataka CMs - from R Gundu Rao in the 1980s through Ramakrishna Hegde, S Bangarappa, Veerappa Moily, HD Deve Gowda, HD Kumaraswamy, Siddaramaiah, DV Sadananda Gowda, Jagadish Shettar, and Basavaraj Bommai - has once again set off a flurry of preparation within the ruling establishment, with a dedicated team said to be finalising a series of events and policy announcements.
Kunigal MLA HD Ranganath offered a preview of what the government has in store. “There will be major announcements for farmers,” he said, adding that “education related celebrations and even in the area of health there are expected to be some important announcements.” His comments reflect the broader anticipation building across the state over whether the milestone will yield substantive relief or remain largely ceremonial.
Adding another dimension to the run-up, legislator Suddam Das raised the question of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Sub-Plan (SCP-TSP), arguing that the Dalit community has extended the government stronger support than any other section of the electorate. He said it was time the government honoured its commitment to SCP-TSP funds “not only in letter but in spirit as well,” suggesting that the 100-day milestone should also be an occasion to address long-pending community demands.
Political analyst BS Murthy offered a more measured assessment of the government’s performance so far, noting that the administration had gotten off to a “late take off,” with much of its time “eaten by Bangalore issues and ministry issues” rather than the broader business of governance.
The BJP, however, was in no mood to join the celebrations. State president BY Vijayendra was sharply critical, sarcastically dismissing the government as a “U-Turn government”. He pointed to what he called a string of policy reversals - the withdrawal of the parks legislation after opposition protests, the expansion of the drought-hit taluks list from 101 to 125 following criticism, and the dropping of a minister after objections were raised. “What have they achieved?” he said.
Meanwhile, BDA Chairman and Shanthinagar MLA NA Haris, who is a close associate of Shivakumar, struck a triumphant note, declaring, “100 days have gone by in a flash - just like the pace at which our Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is driving Karnataka forward with development, decisive leadership and unstoppable momentum. 100 days completed. Karnataka is moving faster, stronger and forward.”
