The Bharatiya Janata Party’s electoral setback in the 2022 Karnataka Assembly elections heralded Congress’ return to the country’s political landscape. The annihilation of the Bhartiya Janta Party by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar laid the groundwork for the state to become a model lab for secular administration. The Congress party won 135 of the 224 contested seats by a landslide, with 42.9% of the vote. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party suffered crushing defeat with 38 seats, retaining its 36% vote share and suffering anti-incumbency on claims of corruption against the Basavaraj Somappa Bommai government.
Since winning the elections, the administration has implemented a number of initiatives in the guise of secularism to promote minority appeasement in the state of Karnataka. The contentious Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, which was enacted in the assembly but overturned in the Upper House, proposes a 10% tax on the temple’s gross income. On the contrary, Rs.100 crore has been allocated for the development of Waqf holdings.
The Congress party-led Karnataka state government has chosen to repeal the state’s anti-conversion law, which was enacted by the previous BJP government. The officials pulled Lord Hanuman’s banner, a saffron flag with Hanuman’s picture, from a 108-foot-tall flag post. In light of the Lok Sabha elections, the state government has decided to postpone the ban on hijab in classrooms.The state Assembly unanimously approved a motion urging the Centre to rename Mysuru Airport after Tipu Sultan.The Karnataka government on Saturday ordered a modification in the content of Kannada and Social Science textbooks for Classes VI to X, eliminating teachings on K.B. Hedgewar and V.D. Savarkar.
In order to promote regional linguistic identity, the state passed the ‘The Kannada Language Comprehensive Development (Amendment)’ ordinance, which requires all sign boards and nameplates in commercial establishments, industries, hospitals, and organisations to be in Kannada. Following this, the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) staged violent rallies and vandalised properties in marketplaces and business locations, particularly destroying and damaging sign boards written in languages other than Kannada.
Congress promised five major guarantees in the run-up to elections: ₹2,000 monthly assistance to women heads of all families (Gruhalakshmi), 200 units of power to all households (Gruhajyoti), ₹3,000 monthly for graduate youth and ₹1,500 for diploma holders (Yuvanidhi), 10 kg rice per person per month (Annabhagya), and free travel for women in State public transport buses (Uchita Prayana). Analysts estimate that giveaways will cost ₹65,082 crore annually.This represents roughly 20% of the state budget. The Karnataka government has requested additional cash from the Centre to cover the subsidies. The Karnataka Assembly passed a resolution condemning the Centre for allegedly withholding money.Congress moves resolution against the Centre’s ‘failure’ to grant Karnataka its tax share.
The state administration has chosen to raise electricity costs to fund the Gruhajyoti plan, which provides free electricity. The Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (KASSIA) warned the state government on Monday that small-scale firms will close if the tarrif was not removed. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has doubled the annual property tax in the city. Due to the revenue shortfall, the state is unlikely to raise government employee compensation.
The post-2022 Karnataka political landscape reveals Congress’ resurgence, emphasizing secular governance and welfare programs. However, its focus on minority appeasement and regional identity exacerbates economic worries with tax hikes. Tensions with the central government deepen governance crises, while divisive language policies sow societal discord. These measures paint a grim picture, signaling fiscal mismanagement and driving the state perilously close to bankruptcy. Urgent action is needed to rectify these missteps, restore financial stability, and foster unity for Karnataka’s sustainable development.
