Union Budget 2026 | They gave a chombu: CM Siddaramaiah attacks Centre for ‘shortchanging’ Karnataka

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday slammed the  Union Budget 2026-27 as “very disappointing” and described it as lacking “foresight.”

Addressing a news conference in Kalaburagi, the chief minister said: “Nothing has been given to Karnataka, they have given a ‘chombu.’ They have assured two high-speed trains linking Bengaluru and Hyderabad and Bengaluru and Chennai in five years. More than us, those in AP, Hyderabad and Chennai will benefit from it. We wanted high-speed trains linking Bengaluru with Mumbai, Pune and Mangaluru.”

Siddaramaiah, who also holds the finance portfolio in the state, raised his long-standing argument seeking higher share in tax devolution. He rued that Karnataka was getting only 41% though it had sought 50% share in vertical tax devolution.

“We had asked for at least 50%. When Modi was the Gujarat CM, he asked 50%. However, they are merely giving 41%. As per the 14th Finance Commission, Karnataka got 4.71%, but this reduced to 3.64% in the 15th Finance Commission. Now, it’s 4.131%. We argued before the 16th Finance Commission that we should at least get what was mentioned in the 14th Finance Commission. If you don’t give even as much as the promise by
the 14th Finance Commission, it’s a big injustice to Karnataka.”

Providing corresponding figures for other states, he explained that Bihar was getting 9.948% and Uttar Pradesh was getting 17.931% of the Budget share as per the 16th Finance Commission’s recommendations.

“Even Andhra Pradesh, a smaller state, is getting 4.217%. We are not saying that you shouldn’t give to other states. But give it to us also.”

The chief minister also pointed out that the Budget did not fulfil the state’s requests regarding irrigation projects.

“We had sought irrigation projects. There’s not even a letter about it. We had sought national project status for the Tungabhadra scheme, Upper Krishna projects. For the Upper Bhadra project, Nirmala Sitharaman assured Rs 5,300 crore in the Budget 2023-24. Not even a single rupee has been given in three years. TN’s petition to the Supreme Court was cancelled but they (Union government) have not cleared Mekedaatu.”

Specifically referring to the backward Kalyana Karnataka region, Siddaramaiah explained that his government had provided Rs 13,000 cr grants to the Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board (KKRDB) after coming to power.

“We are providing Rs 5,000 cr each year (to KKRDB) and sought matching grants but there’s no mention of that,” he lamented.