Kharge takes a dig at DyCM Shivakumar over funds to Kalyana Karnataka

Kalaburagi: A light political moment with a serious undertone unfolded on Monday at Yadrami in Kalaburagi district, when AICC President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge took a sharp dig at Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar over the flow of funds to the Kalyana Karnataka region.

Referring to the funds allocated to the region after the implementation of Article 371(J), Shivakumar remarked that thousands of crores were now flowing to the Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board. “Looking at the scale of funding, it feels like I should have been born here and contested elections from this region,” Shivakumar said during his address.

Responding to this comment in his speech, Kharge struck a humorous yet pointed tone. “Shivakumar, you don’t need to be born here, and we don’t need to be born in your region either. Just ensure that Kalyana Karnataka gets at least 75 per cent of the development that Mysuru and Kanakapura have achieved,” Kharge said, drawing applause from the gathering.

Using a buffet meal analogy to underline regional imbalance, Kharge expressed dissatisfaction over fund distribution. “In a buffet system, those who go first get everything they want. People from South Karnataka have already gone ahead and taken their share. We in Kalyana Karnataka are still sitting in line, waiting for the food to arrive,” he said, indirectly pointing to disparities between northern and southern parts of the state.

Kharge further highlighted the unequal access to education and employment opportunities. “Children in Mysuru and Bengaluru have access to good education and jobs. In Kalyana Karnataka, we have schools but no teachers,” he said. He urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa to immediately recruit 10,000 teachers and post them in schools across Kalyana Karnataka. “If there are surplus teachers after filling our vacancies, they can be sent to South Karnataka,” he added.

While Kharge made these remarks, DyCM Shivakumar listened with a smile, acknowledging the criticism without reacting publicly.

However, when Kharge reiterated the demand for teacher recruitment, the Chief Minister was reportedly engaged in conversation with Minister Priyank Kharge and KKRDB Chairman Dr Ajay Singh, and the issue did not receive an immediate response. As a result, no specific assurance was made regarding teacher appointments.

The episode highlighted ongoing concerns about regional imbalance in development, even as leaders acknowledged progress under constitutional provisions meant to uplift the Kalyana Karnataka region.