Mangaluru:
Former parliamentarian Nalin Kumar Kateel has accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of compromising Karnataka’s finances to cling to power, turning the state into a cash machine for the Congress high command in Delhi.
Kateel claimed Siddaramaiah faces a dual challenge: funneling state resources to satisfy national party leaders on one hand, and distributing corporation chairmanships equivalent to cabinet minister status to keep his faction MLAs content on the other.
This approach, he argued, involves squandering hundreds of crores to maintain alliances, trapping the government in a cycle of financial mismanagement.
“Under Congress rule, development has ground to a halt, leaving the public cursing the administration. The state treasury is being depleted solely to placate MLAs, a tactic that tests the patience of Karnataka’s aware and vigilant citizens,” Kateel stated.
Kateel’s remarks highlight deepening discontent with the government’s priorities, where survival in office appears to override public welfare and progress.