MANGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday criticised his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan, warning that the state is sliding toward bankruptcy under the LDF government.
Addressing an election rally seeking votes for UDF candidate AKM Ashraf in the Manjeshwar assembly segment of Kasaragod district in Kerala, Siddaramaiah contrasted Karnataka’s performance with Kerala’s under the LDF, pointing to rising unemployment and inflation.
"In Karnataka, unemployment is 2.5 per cent; in Kerala, it is 8 per cent. Inflation in Kerala is over 8 per cent, more than double Karnataka's," he said.
He also warned that Kerala's debt-to-GDP ratio is 35 per cent, exceeding the recommended 25 per cent, and fiscal deficit at 3.5 per cent, surpassing the ideal 3 per cent.
Urging voters to back UDF and Ashraf, he said, "UDF will implement welfare guarantees just as we did in Karnataka. Congress and UDF are always in favor of the poor."
Turning his guns at the BJP, Siddaramaiah accused the party of being anti-constitution, anti-poor, anti-Dalit, and anti-minorities and favouring the rich and corporates. He cited the Congress government’s “five guarantees” in Karnataka, which spend Rs 52,000 crore annually on pro-people initiatives, claiming the programs have strengthened the state’s economy despite BJP warnings. Much of Siddaramaiah’s speech focused on showcasing Karnataka’s welfare schemes.
Earlier in his speech, the CM said Manjeshwar should have been part of Karnataka. "Whenever I visit Manjeshwar, it feels like I have stepped into Karnataka, because Kannada resonates in every conversation here. Though this land is part of Kerala, I feel that it should have been part of Karnataka. It is a matter of pride that great literary figures like Rashtrakavi Manjeshwara Govinda Pai and Kayyara Kiyanna Rai have brought fame to this region. Even today, despite being in Kerala, you continue to speak, preserve, and honor the Kannada language,” he said.
