DH illustration: Deepak Harichandan
Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is all set to break the late
D Devaraj Urs’ record (7 years and 239 days) as the longest-serving chief minister of Karnataka on Wednesday. But it is not just the record tenure that binds the two leaders. They represent two different eras of social justice. Siddaramaiah is also the only chief minister after Urs to complete a full five-year term.
If Urs created a new political base -- of backward classes and dalits with his robust legislation – land reforms act and reservation to backward classes, Siddaramaiah fashioned his politics on ‘Ahinda’ coalition (minorities, Dalits and backward classes) pushing populist schemes and freebies.
In the 1970s, the Karnataka Land Reforms Act 1974 brought in land ceiling and transfer of land ownership to the tiller, empowering landless and marginal farmers, while altering the political dominance of landed communities like Vokkaligas, Lingayats and Brahmins. Urs mainstreamed small caste groups among OBCs and nurtured new political leadership. Reservation for backward classes in education, employment and local bodies (Havanur Commission) made him a hero among the marginalised while alienating dominant castes.
Cut to 2025, Kuruba strongman Siddaramaiah is drawing similar criticism for wooing the Ahinda bloc at the cost of the dominant castes following the 2018 Lingayat movement demanding a separate religion tag. His run-ins with JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda and now his power tussle with his deputy and D K Shivakumar have antagonised the Vokkaligas who hold sway in the Old Mysuru region.
The saffron brigade accuses him of minority appeasement too citing higher budget allocations to minorities, while diverting funds meant for SCs and STs.
A strong criticism is however of his populism. Freebies are a “burden” on the exchequer and an impediment to development, say Opposition parties. Unlike Urs, who chose to end social inequalities through laws, Siddaramaiah embraced populism to redistribute income through annual
budgets.
Last February, Siddaramaiah created another record by tabling his 16th state Budget (outlay of Rs 4.09 alakh crore). He allocated Rs 51,000 crore for the five flagship guarantee schemes – Gruha Lakshmi (monthly stipend to woman heads of households), Gruha Jyoti (free electricity up t0 to 200 units per household), Anna Bhagya (free rice scheme for BPL families), Shakti (free bus travel for women) and Yuva Nidhi (stipend for unemployed graduates).
During his first stint too, Siddaramaiah set the ‘Bhagya’ schemes rolling – Anna Bhagya (free rice) for a hunger-free Karnataka, Ksheera Bhagya (free milk to school children) to fight malnutrition, Krishi Bhagya (farm ponds) to fight drought, Arogya Bhagya (universal health coverage) and Anila Bhagya – free LPG connection. This helped the Congress “outsider” (he quit JD-S and joined Congress in 2007 ) gain appeal among the masses and carve a decisive leadership within the party.
Amid the ongoing power tussle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar over the much-speculated 50:50 power-sharing pact, Siddaramaiah’s mass appeal as the uncontested Ahinda leader is weighing heavy on Shivakumar’s CM aspirations. Shivakumar, known for his organisational prowess, falls short in mass appeal among the Ahinda – the Congress’ traditional votebase.
Quizzed over the record, Siddaramaiah said, “This was possible with people’s blessings. But don’t compare me with a tall leader like Urs. I am happy he too hailed from Mysuru. I started my career as a taluk board member and never imagined I would become a chief minister though I contested 13 elections and won
eight.”
A cowherd from Siddaramanahundi village in Mysuru who trained to be a lawyer and saw a meteoric rise in politics, Siddaramaiah, at 77, says, “Records are meant to be broken and some day, my records will be broken too.”
Union minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy slammed Siddaramaiah saying his record had no “merit”.
“Looking at the condition of the state, his record deserves to be buried. His tenure is a textbook example of bad governance. Karnataka, which once stood for good governance, has today become an example of inefficiency and poor administration. Corruption, murder, extortion, drug mafia activities and honour killings have continued unabated. But Siddaramaiah government is focussed on setting records. Officers are reduced to slaves. Forget breaking Urs’ record, Siddaramaiah will be the last chief minister of the Congress party in this state. Voters will teach Congress a lesson,” he warned.
Former minister and BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar recalls Devaraj Urs’ tenure as the chief minister and says the land reforms gave strength to the backward classes and that was the hallmark of his administration. “Siddaramaiah sees himself as a worthy successor to Urs but there has been no hallmark of his administration. Even the guarantee schemes seem to be the Congress brainchild. Ramakrishna Hegde left a mark in Panchayati Raj reforms, S M Krishna is synonymous with IT and urbanisation. Urs was a Congress-bred leader and was a man of political sagacity. Siddaramaiah came from the Janata Dal and enjoyed power as the LOP and CM for two terms each in the Congress.”