Siddaramaiah must practise what he preaches

 

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been a consistent and forceful critic of the Modi government’s fiscal policies. He has accused the Centre of discriminating against Karnataka in the distribution of central funds, citing shortfalls in GST compensation and an unfair share from the divisible pool. His grievance has merit: data do show that BJP-ruled states and those crucial to the NDA’s survival, such as Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, have enjoyed a more generous flow of central resources.

But fairness is a principle, not a slogan. And the question now being asked is whether Siddaramaiah himself practises the fiscal equity he demands from Delhi. Does his government distribute development funds across Karnataka’s 30 districts and 224 constituencies with the same sense of fairness he seeks from the Centre? Unfortunately, there are signs that it does not.

At a public function in Puttur recently, Siddaramaiah proudly declared that his government had released ₹2,000 crore for that town’s development during his two-and-a-half-year tenure. Puttur happens to be represented by a Congress MLA. The only other constituency in Dakshina Kannada that seems to have attracted comparable attention is Ullal, represented by Assembly Speaker U. T. Khader, also from the Congress. Meanwhile, BJP legislators from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi have repeatedly complained about being denied their share of developmental funds.

If these complaints are even partly true, the Chief Minister risks committing the very offence he accuses the Union government of—using fiscal policy as a political tool. Favouring party-held constituencies while starving opposition ones of resources undermines the very idea of equitable governance. It also weakens Siddaramaiah’s moral authority to question the Centre’s alleged bias.

Leadership is measured not by rhetoric but by example. A government that claims to stand for social justice must embody that commitment in practice. Siddaramaiah should therefore direct his administration to publish a white paper detailing constituency-wise allocation of development funds. If the data prove his government has been fair, transparency will only strengthen his case against New Delhi. But if it reveals political bias, his accusations of discrimination will sound hollow—mere political theatre.

Fiscal justice, like charity, must begin at home. Siddaramaiah’s moral claim against the Centre will carry weight only when he demonstrates that the Karnataka government itself practises what it preaches.