Discontent within Congress over Budget: Vijayendra

Bengaluru: BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra on Friday said that there is opposition within the ruling party itself over the Budget presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Speaking to media persons, he said there is a sense of disappointment within the ruling party. “An experienced Chief Minister presenting his 17th Budget had raised high expectations. However, Siddaramaiah’s Budget has shattered the hopes of the people of the state,” he said. He added that the state has been suffering due to a lack of development over the past two and a half years, and there is no doubt that this will continue.

“I was closely observing when the Chief Minister presented the Budget. We could see a lack of enthusiasm even among ruling party MLAs. Overall, the Budget presented by Siddaramaiah is not supportive of the state’s development. It does not benefit farmers and has failed to generate employment opportunities for the youth. We are hearing from all quarters that this is a Budget lacking vision,” he said. Referring to Kalaburagi, he cited Prof. Govinda Rao’s report, stating that Kalyana Karnataka continues to lag behind in development. “The report mentions that regional imbalance, which was at 65 per cent, has increased to 72.5 per cent,” he pointed out.

He said that Minister Priyank Kharge often criticises Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central government, but Kalyana Karnataka falls largely under his influence. “Despite being in power continuously, it is unfortunate that the benefits have not reached the people of this region, including the poor, youth and women,” he said.

He advised Priyank Kharge to set aside discussions on international issues and instead focus on the problems of the country and, more importantly, on Kalaburagi district and the Kalyana Karnataka region.