Leadership rift, farmers issues to be in focus at winter session
Karnataka's winter session begins with leadership tensions, farmers' issues, and 21 new bills. The Congress government faces opposition scrutiny on law and order.
As Karnataka’s legislature prepares to convene in Belagavi for a ten-day winter session beginning Monday, the leadership tussle between chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar is expected to draw focus along with farmers’ grievances and the tabling of 21 new bills.
Speaking ahead of the session, Siddaramaiah insisted the government was prepared for any challenge from the opposition. “Let them bring in a no-confidence motion or adjournment motion or any other motion. We are ready to face it. Ours is an open book, transparent government. We are ready to face anything,” he said, with Shivakumar by his side.
Opposition leaders, however, have signalled that no such move is imminent. BJP state president BY Vijayendra and Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka each said that their party and its ally, the Janata Dal (Secular), had not discussed initiating a no-confidence motion.
Before the session, the chief minister and his deputy have given public assurances that they will follow the party high command’s guidance on the leadership question.
The BJP-JD(S) alliance is poised to press the Congress hard on multiple fronts, including what it describes as the “collapse of administrative machinery” due to the leadership dispute.
Several issues are expected to dominate the proceedings, many of them tied to law enforcement and governance.
A series of incidents at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison — inmates partying on camera, a terror suspect using a mobile phone, and the recovery of dozens of handsets inside the facility — have given the opposition new ammunition. Police personnel have also been implicated in criminal cases in recent months, raising broader questions about policing in the state.
Home Minister G Parameshwara said the government was prepared to counter accusations on law and order.
“I will give a suitable answer… as to how the law and order situation is in Karnataka and in BJP-ruled states. Also, how law and order was there when the BJP was in power in the state, and how it is now with figures,” he said. On the controversies surrounding preferential treatment of certain inmates at the Bengaluru prison, he said, “When the majority of the incidents took place, which government was there? All this will be informed in the Assembly.”
He added that some videos being circulated were old, even as he acknowledged incidents under the current administration. “I will explain each incident,” he said.
The Congress government’s troubles with farmers are also expected to take centre stage. Discontent over the procurement of maize, paddy, green gram, black gram, and the unresolved problems facing sugarcane farmers has intensified.
The BJP plans to stage a major demonstration outside the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha on December 9, with Vijayendra saying they aim to gather as many as 20,000 farmers. “We want to awaken this anti-farmer government from its deep slumber,” he said. “We will raise these issues inside the Assembly, too.”
He accused the government of failing to compensate farmers on time and mishandling crop purchases.
“Only 5 lakh metric tonnes of the total 54 lakh metric tonnes have been procured by the state government,” he said.
He also cited the MUDA controversy, the Valmiki ST Development Corporation scandal and allegations of high commissions, arguing that the government “lacks the moral authority to speak about corruption.”
The session will also see the tabling of 21 bills, including measures to check hate speech and hatred crimes, a law against misinformation, the Daily Wage Employees Welfare (Amendment) Bill, and the Karnataka Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill.Other key bills include the Karnataka Scheduled Castes (Sub-Categorisation in Reservation) Bill, the Karnataka Domestic Workers (Social Security and Welfare) (Amendment) Bill, and the Karnataka Apartment Ownership (Regulation) Bill.
The State Cabinet’s recent approval to introduce the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill is another flashpoint. Opposition parties argue the measure is aimed at targeting their leaders and have vowed to resist it.
Regional development is likely to resurface as well, especially concerns tied to North Karnataka.
Opposition legislators are expected to push for progress on major irrigation projects, including the Upper Krishna Project’s third phase and the Mahadayi dispute. They have also taken aim at the poor condition of Bengaluru’s infrastructure and will renew criticism of the tunnel road project championed by Shivakumar.
As legislators arrive for the session, Belagavi is seeing a large security deployment. “Around 8,000 police personnel have been pressed into service to ensure the smooth conduct of the proceedings,” Deputy Commissioner Roshan said.
A new park and fountain developed at a cost of ₹4.5 crore is set to be inaugurated by the chief minister during the session. Prohibitory orders have been imposed within a three-kilometre radius of the venue until December 21.
