Countering the Bharatiya Janata Party’s much-publicised Gujarat model of development, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday declared that the Congress would go before people in the next year’s State Assembly elections with the “Karnataka model” of development.
“Our agenda for next year’s elections is the Karnataka model of development. This is bound to become a subject of discussion during the run-up to the polls,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said, while replying to a debate on the State Budget in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.
In his 150-minute speech, laced with barbs and sarcasm aimed at the Opposition, he ridiculed the saffron party hitherto dependent on the Gujarat model of development for trying to project the Uttar Pradesh model now. “We have our own development model to showcase. However, the BJP in Karnataka cannot bank on development as they did nothing when they were in power,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.
He claimed that the ‘Karnataka model’ of development was an inclusive one, which touched everybody and focused on providing social justice. “In reality, the BJP is not living up to its claim of ‘sab ka saath sab ka vikas’ (together with all, development for all), but we are.”
Taking a dig at those who described his budget as Ahinda (Kannada acronym for Minorities, Backward classes and Dalits), he said a large number of welfare measures by his government such as Anna Bhagya, Pashu Bhagya, Krishi Yantradhaare and focus on irrigation benefits people of all communities. “I am not embarrassed to say that we are for pro-oppressed sections like Ahinda,” he said.
Fiscal discipline
Denying the allegations of compromising with fiscal discipline by reliance on borrowing, he said Karnataka’s borrowing level stood at 18.93%, which was not only below the statutory ceiling of 25% but also less than the national average of 22%. In fact, the borrowings were above 22% during the BJP regime, he said.
The Principal Opposition BJP staged a walkout expressing dissatisfaction over Mr. Siddaramaiah’s reply.
