Chief minister DK Shivakumar, also finance minister, has the difficult task of balancing guarantee schemes with drought relief
Bengaluru: Prolonged drought-like conditions in most of the state have put chief minister DK Shivakumar in a tight political and financial spot, well ahead of the 2028 assembly polls. He has offered to lead an all-party delegation to Delhi seeking drought aid and loan waivers and has proposed sharing the burden in a 50:50, 60:40 or 70:30 ratio. The politics stretch to 2028. Added to this, there is also a historical challenge: The same party has never returned to govern in consecutive elections in Karnataka since 1985, when the Janata Party govt was followed by Congress in 1989.
Farmer leader C Mallesh said drought is unfolding in the second half of the assembly term, when the govt’s record will increasingly be judged by voters. “Congress has spoken publicly about returning to the helm in 2028 and is presenting its performance as a longer-term agenda,” Mallesh said. Shivakumar’s stand is that Karnataka will pass on to farmers whatever it gets from the Centre. BJP has declined to join the delegation. “Farmers could become an important constituency. The govt will have to show that its welfare architecture is not limited to urban households, women, youth and guarantee beneficiaries, but also protects the agricultural economy in a severe drought. Whether Congress breaks the pattern will depend on governance, organisation, economic conditions and voter preferences, with the drought only a part of the record.