Former minister questions CM Siddaramaiah's chopper ride to launch Rs 20 cr project

Mahesh said thay the people of KR Nagar segment – KR Nagar and Saligrama taluks – are asking what is the contribution of the Congress MLA D Ravishakar over the past two years.

Mysuru: Was there a necessity for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to come all the way, in a helicopter to KR Nagar, to launch just Rs 20 crore worth of projects, while the Karnataka government is reeling under financial crisis? asked former minister and JD(S) working president Sa Ra Mahesh.

Mahesh, who represented KR Nagar as MLA for three terms till 2023, was addressing a media conference, in Mysuru, in the wake of the claims of Siddaramaiah on May 23 that he laid the foundation stone and inaugurated works worth a total of Rs 513 crore.

Mahesh said, for the 12 works worth a total of Rs 237 crore, for which Siddaramaiah laid the foundation stones, only administrative approval is given and tenders are yet to be invited.

“Why such a hurry? The government is yours. You could have got financial approval. You could have invited tenders. Could have given tenders and then done the groundbreaking puja,” he told the CM.

Mahesh said, the people of KR Nagar segment – KR Nagar and Saligrama taluks – are asking what is the contribution of the Congress MLA D Ravishakar over the past two years.

“Thus, Siddaramaiah who has a soft corner for the present MLA, tried to project all my contributions as that of Ravishankar. So far, in the KR Nagar segment, the JD(S) had not got a lead in the Lok Sabha election. But, in the 2024 poll, our leader H D Kumaraswamy got a lead of over 8,000 votes, thanks to the people’s anger against Ravishankar,” he said.

“Since my student days, I have been an admirer of Siddaramaiah, cutting across party lines. I welcome the Chief Minister to KR Nagar. But, let him introspect, if he and his administration now are the same as of his 2013 to 2018 tenure. Among the projects he inaugurated, over Rs 150 crore worth of them were completed during my tenure as MLA. The bridge across River Cauvery, that connects with KR Pet taluk, constructed at cost of Rs 35 crore, was completed two years ago. The CM himself had travelled on it, during the 2023 Assembly election campaign. It was also ironically inaugurated by him, now,” Mahesh pointed out.

“Siddaramaiah government’s achievement is increasing the price of products and services, fleecing the people. Karnataka state’s total debt is Rs 7.81 lakh crore, and Siddaramaiah alone is responsible for borrowing Rs 4.91 lakh crore, from two terms,” he criticised.

“Siddaramaiah, who claims to be a socialist, used to criticise the Nehru-Gandhi clan, when he was in the Janata Parivar. Now, he criticises H D Deve Gowda and B S Yediyurappa families. But, he forgets about his own family. Siddaramaiah criticises former Prime Minister Deve Gowda as a casteist. But, when Deve Gowda was Chief Minister, he appointed Siddaramaiah as his Finance Minister, without doing caste politics. But, Siddaramaiah has kept Finance for himself, without trusting others,” Mahesh said.

MLC C N Manjegowda, ex-president of Zilla Panchayat C J Dwarakeesh, JD(S) state spokesman N R Ravichandregowda and ex-councillor SBM Manju were also present.