Belagavi: In a striking display of dissent from within the ruling party, senior Congress MLA Raju Kage has publicly lashed out at the Siddaramaiah-led government, accusing it of administrative collapse and expressing his readiness to resign within two days, citing complete dysfunction in the system.

Speaking to reporters at Ainapur village in Kagawad taluk, the veteran legislator minced no words as he backed fellow Congress MLA B.R. Patil, whose viral audio alleging widespread corruption in the Housing Department recently stirred political waters.

“The statements made by B.R. Patil are not false. I stand in full support of what he said. His frustration is genuine. I feel the same,” Kage affirmed. Kage revealed that he had been allotted ₹25 crore under the Chief Minister’s Special Grant, of which ₹12 crore was sanctioned for road works, but work orders for the remaining ₹13 crore have not been issued. Additionally, he said, 72 community hall projects in his constituency still await administrative approval, despite being proposed over two years ago.

“There’s no point even asking the officials. The system is so broken that no one listens, and nothing moves. Even after laying the foundation stones for several projects two years ago, there has been zero progress. Local engineers aren’t doing any work, contractors are failing to meet obligations, and officials are not enforcing tenders,” he lamented.

Raju Kage painted a grim picture of bureaucratic apathy, saying contractors who were awarded tenders are being allowed to skip obligations, and engineers are ignoring assigned duties.”This is not governance. The system has completely deteriorated. People are questioning the MLAs, and we are left helpless. I’m deeply hurt. It won’t be surprising if I tender my resignation in the next two days,” he warned.

This public outburst not only highlights cracks within the Congress but also lends weight to the growing chorus of allegations against the state government for mismanagement and inaction. Kage’s claims add further pressure on the ruling party, already under scrutiny after B.R. Patil accused officials of allotting housing to those who paid bribes, bypassing legitimate recommendations by elected representatives.

His remarks follow mounting frustration among MLAs over lack of autonomy, delay in approvals, and bureaucratic roadblocks, despite repeated promises by the leadership of efficient governance. The implications of Kage’s statement are significant, especially as the Congress prepares to face heightened opposition criticism and internal unrest.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders, including former CM and MP Jagadish Shettar, have seized on the issue, backing both Kage and Patil’s allegations and calling for Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar’s resignation on moral grounds.

“When ruling party MLAs are openly expressing dissatisfaction, it proves that the system has collapsed under Congress rule,” Shettar said, hinting that many disgruntled Congress MLAs are in touch with the BJP and may switch sides if the government fails to course-correct.

As discontent brews and the party leadership remains silent, the Congress government in Karnataka now faces not only external attacks but internal tremors that could escalate into a full-blown political crisis if corrective measures are not taken swiftly.