Karnataka BJP attacks CM Shivakumar over Cabinet delay, flags ‘administrative paralysis’
Bengaluru, June 23 (IANS) Senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R. Ashoka, on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, alleging that the Congress government had failed to provide stable governance and was delaying Cabinet expansion due to internal power struggles.
The government is currently functioning with 13 ministers headed by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, with 20 Cabinet berths yet to be filled.
Political circles have attributed the delay in Cabinet expansion to differences of opinion within the ruling party. Except for the portfolios already assigned to ministers, all other departments are presently being overseen by the Chief Minister himself.
In a statement, Ashoka mocked Shivakumar, referring to him as an “Educationalist by Choice” and accusing him of being an expert in political horse-trading. He questioned whether the Chief Minister was reluctant to undertake a full-fledged Cabinet expansion out of fear that his position could be destabilised.
“Both the Rajya Sabha elections and the Legislative Council elections are over. Yet Karnataka still does not have a full Cabinet. What can Kannadigas expect from a helpless and rubber-stamp Chief Minister who is unable to carry out even a Cabinet expansion?” Ashoka asked.
Highlighting the condition of government schools in the state, the BJP leader claimed that more than 16,800 classrooms out of Karnataka’s 46,174 government schools were awaiting repairs. According to him, nearly 40 per cent of school classrooms are in a dilapidated condition.
He alleged that the problem was widespread across regions, including Kalyana Karnataka, Kittur Karnataka, Malnad, Old Mysuru and even Bengaluru, where more than 80 government schools were reportedly in a dangerous condition.
Ashoka said students and teachers were being forced to attend classes under unsafe conditions, with leaking roofs, crumbling walls and damaged windows posing risks to their safety. “Is this the achievement of your so-called guarantee government?” he questioned.
The Opposition leader further criticised the government for not having ministers in charge of key portfolios. He claimed that Karnataka had been without Ministers for Agriculture, School Education and Higher Education for the past month, resulting in administrative paralysis.
“While the entire administrative machinery has gone off track, the Congress government remains preoccupied with power-sharing arrangements and internal battles over positions,” he alleged.
Ashoka charged that issues concerning education, farmers’ welfare and public grievances were no longer priorities for the government. Instead, he claimed, the Chief Minister and his colleagues were focused solely on retaining power.
“School walls are collapsing, the administrative system is collapsing, but the Congress government is concerned only about political calculations and protecting chairs,” he said.
R. Ashoka further alleged large-scale irregularities in the implementation of the Gruha Lakshmi scheme and accused the Congress government of failing to ensure transparency in the disbursement of benefits. He cited observations reportedly made by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and claimed they exposed serious shortcomings in the administration of one of the state’s flagship welfare programmes.
Referring to audit findings, Ashoka claimed that as many as 19,020 beneficiaries had been linked to a single bank account number. He questioned how funds released in the names of thousands of women could be credited to one account and demanded an explanation from the government.
“Is this a welfare scheme or an organised loot?” he asked.
–IANS
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