‘I may resign from party’, another Cong MLA speaks out against Siddaramaiah govt

Belagavi (Karnataka): Attacking his government in Karnataka, senior Congress leader and MLA Raju Kage, said on Monday that despite the release of funds for development activities in his constituency, no work orders have been issued, forcing him to contemplate quitting the party.

“I might resign from the party,” he said, stirring controversy.

Already facing backlash over Congress MLA B.R. Patil’s statement about housing allotments through bribery, the Congress-led government is likely to face further embarrassment following Kage’s remarks.

Kage represents the Kagawada Assembly constituency in Belagavi district. Speaking to reporters in Ainapura village of Kagawada taluk in Belagavi, MLA Kage lashed out at his own party, saying, “Special grants have been released for my constituency. Even after the allocation of Rs 25 crore for development works two years ago, not a single work order has been issued.”

“No officer under this government is functioning. Governance has collapsed under the Congress administration,” Kage charged.

“What does it mean if work orders are not issued even after the release of funds? It wouldn’t be surprising if I tender my resignation in the next two days after meeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah,” he added.

“My situation is worse than that of senior Congress MLA B.R. Patil, who raised his voice against the housing project scam. I am now facing the possibility of resigning from my MLA post,” he stated.

“I am deeply disheartened that work orders have not been issued to execute development projects. What MLA B.R. Patil said is not false, it is the truth,” Kage said.

MLA B.R. Patil had earlier alleged that housing scheme beneficiaries were being selected through bribery, and that officials had sidelined him in the allotment process.

Reacting to the development, former Chief Minister and BJP MP Jagadish Shettar said on Monday that corruption in the Congress-led government had reached unprecedented levels. “The statements made by Congress MLAs Raju Kage and B.R. Patil are proof of this,” he said.

“The Congress government is deceiving the people. They announce funds and schemes, but no work orders are issued. Raju Kage was earlier with the BJP and knows how the previous BJP governments functioned,” Shettar added.

Former Chief Minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai also slammed the Congress government while speaking in Haveri. “There is zero development. Corruption is rampant in official transfers, from local to state levels. The morale of honest officers has completely collapsed,” he said.

“Even as ruling party MLAs are exposing scams, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah remains indifferent. I don’t understand — cabinet ministers themselves are writing letters. There is no coordination between ministers and MLAs. It is clear that their concerns are being ignored,” Bommai remarked.

“There has been no compensation for people who lost their homes due to heavy rains. The public will soon rise in protest. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has already directed the state BJP leadership to prepare for an agitation at an appropriate time after consultations. A meeting will be held in this regard soon,” he said.

“Contractors have alleged that the commission rate under the Congress government has reached 60 per cent. Even excise contractors have voiced their anguish over corruption. The smart meter scam has also come to light. Yet, this shameless government remains unaffected,” Bommai asserted.

–IANS