Karnataka High Court issues notice to state over JD(S) MLA’s plea on fund discrimination

Bengaluru: The high court on Tuesday ordered notice to the state government in a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by G K Venkatashiva Reddy, JDS MLA from Srinivasapura assembly constituency, alleging discrimination in allocation of funds. 

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C M Poonacha also ordered notice to Deputy Commissioner of Kolar district and posted the matter to January 21, 2026, for further consideration.

The bench said that it will consider insofar as the first prayer in the PIL, seeking release of the amounts granted in favour of Srinivasapura constituency, since other prayers are already raised in a similar petition filed by Jagadeesh Shivayya Gudagunti, BJP MLA from Jamkhandi.

In his petition, Venkatashiva Reddy stated that for the year 2023-24, the state government under the Chief Minister’s fund had ordered release of Rs 25 crore to all the constituencies represented by the Congress independent MLAs. However, the government has not granted any amount to the MLAs belonging to the BJP and JD (S). The petitioner claims to have submitted a representation to the Chief Minister requesting a grant of Rs 35 crore for development works at Srinivasapura constituency. Even as this amount was not released, the petitioner wrote a letter in February 2025 seeking release of Rs 10 crore to address the rain-affected problems in the constituency.

The petition stated that while Rs 50 crore each is being granted to KGF, Bangarpet, Malur and Kolar constituencies, represented by Congress MLAs, the Chief Minister addressed a letter on September 15, 2025, stating that Rs 25 crore is being granted to Srinivasapura assembly constituency. The petitioner alleged this act as discrimination among the constituencies.

“..a sum of Rs 50 crore was released to the MLAs belonging to Congress party elected from KGF, Bangarpet, Malur and Kolar constituencies. But, so far as MLAs belonging to JDS party, from Srinivasapura and Mulbagal constituencies, the state government has granted only Rs 25 crore. This clearly shows the discrimination towards the petitioner and MLAs belonging to JDS party, which is in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution of India. Even the said amount is also not released so far,” the petition said.