BJP govt spent Rs 30 crore on PM Modi’s one-day visit to Karnataka ahead of 2023 Assembly polls

Ferrying crowds by buses for two events ahead of the 2023 polls, among expenses

Bengaluru: Three months ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections in Karnataka, the BJP government spent about Rs 33 crore on two events headlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with over Rs 6.5 crore spent just to ferry people to the events.

Documents accessed under the RTI after a three-year struggle by Manjunath Hirechowti of Lanchamukta Karnataka show that the expenditure for the inauguration of the Shivamogga airport on February 27, 2023, where Modi asked people to “vote for a double-engine government in future too”, stood at Rs 18.81 crore.

The expenses include 1,800 buses hired at a cost of Rs 4.11 crore to bring people from various places for Modi’s event. Over Rs 1.8 crore was spent for two heads of works: waterproof German structure truss pandal for the main stage dais and green room, model presentation stalls and flower decoration for the Prime Minister, the Governor, the Chief Minister and others.

The documents also showed that the Public Works Department had obtained exemption under section 4(G) of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act.

Hours later, Modi flew to Belagavi by a special flight from Shivamogga and took a chopper to the ground from where he commenced a roadshow at about 2.45 pm. While the air travel expenses were unavailable, another set of documents obtained under RTI Act showed that the Public Works Department received approval of the government to spend Rs 14.35 crore, including Rs 2.5 crore towards buses to carry people to the programme.

Hirechowti filed the RTI application for the Shivamogga event’s expenditure in March 2023 but managed to get it only in January 2026 after successfully getting a favourable order by the Karnataka Information Commission. Speaking to DH, he expressed concern over the lack of transparency and accountability.

“Public money is not a campaign resource. Development projects must not become platforms for political projection in the months leading up to elections. India needs a statutory pre-election expenditure control mechanism, as there is no financial restraint before the model code of conduct comes into force. Without reform, taxpayers will continue to bear the burden of politically timed extravagance,” he said.

To a question, the then Public Works Minister C C Patil said he could not remember the specifics of the expenditure. “I will get the information in this matter and respond,” he said.

Asked about the expenses, Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi said he would look into the possibility of limiting such expenditure but said it might not be easy.

“After I took over, I have put an end to the exemptions from the KTPP Act. However, limiting expenditure in the case of prime ministers may be difficult. I will look into the expenditure files and decide on the matter,” he said.