As Bengaluru floods, Siddaramaiah marks two years with Hosapete ‘guarantee rally’

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

As Bengaluru reels under 104 mm of unseasonal rain that has submerged underpasses and brought traffic to a standstill, Karnataka Chief Minister M. Siddaramaiah rallies his cabinet to Hosapete for a high-profile “Sadhana Samavesha.”

Marking two years in office, the event, branded a “guarantee rally”, is aimed at bringing into the spotlight the government’s claim of Rs 80,000 crore spent on five flagship welfare schemes - Gruha Lakshmi, Shakti, Gruha Jyoti, Anna Bhagya, and Yuva Nidhi.

Meanwhile, back in the state capital, the Chief Minister, on Monday, acknowledged the infrastructure shortcomings blamed for the flooding, instructing BBMP officials to immediately remodel and de-silt Bengaluru’s 859.9 km of stormwater drains. He identified 210 flood-prone zones and postponed a planned site visit with Deputy CM DK Shivakumar to Wednesday, citing traffic concerns and the need for daylight assessments.

Siddaramaiah’s second term has also been beset by controversies.

His recent comments opposing the Indian armed forces' Operation Sindoor following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack drew backlash and embarrassed the party. Corruption allegations, most notably the MUDA land allotment and Valmiki tribal-welfare scams, have further eroded his clean governance image.

As per political scientist Sandeep Shastri, cited in a News18 report, these controversies have diverted the chief minister’s attention from governance to “firefighting.” In the meantime, an “unwritten understanding” with Shivakumar to split the chief ministership after 2.5 years adds pressure, with Shivakumar lobbying New Delhi to honour the pact.

Despite the major setbacks, Siddaramaiah has presented a record 16 state budgets and promotes a “Karnataka Model” of welfare-driven growth, championing welfarism, social justice, and fiscal management as a template for other states.