Does K’taka need a fresh budget? As Siddaramaiah disagrees with HDK, CM to meet Rahul

Siddaramaiah says HDK can present a ‘supplementary budget’, but the Chief Minister doesn’t agree.
Does K’taka need a fresh budget? As Siddaramaiah disagrees with HDK, CM to meet Rahul
Does K’taka need a fresh budget? As Siddaramaiah disagrees with HDK, CM to meet Rahul
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Less than a month after HD Kumaraswamy won the floor test to cement his position as the Chief  Minister of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka, the first public disagreement between the alliance partners has come to light. Should there or should there not be a fresh budget for the state? While the Congress wants the budget they presented before the election to continue in force, the JD(S) feels otherwise.

In fact, it’s a battle between the current Chief Minister and his predecessor. Former CM Siddaramaiah is now the chairman of the Coordination Committee of the alliance along with being the leader of the Congress’ Legislature Party, and he wants the previous budget to remain in force.

Siddaramaiah, who like Kumaraswamy had kept the Finance portfolio with himself, had presented his last budget in February.

"Budget has already been tabled. It is a full-fledged budget only. That's why we had taken vote on accounts for four months. It will be there till July end. All the ongoing programmes and new programmes announced in the budget will continue," said Siddaramaiah, reported PTI.

The former CM added that instead, Kumaraswamy can present a supplementary budget to make way for any new scheme.

But Kumaraswamy is keen to present a new budget and has said that he will meet Congress’ national president Rahul Gandhi to have his way.

"Today JD(S) and Congress have formed a coalition government. Usually when a new government comes to power, its duty is to present the best budget and send our message to people through it. A supplementary budget would not suffice to incorporate them all," the CM said.

“Prior to elections, you (Siddaramaiah) stated that you may have to present a new budget even if your own party comes to power. I clearly remember what you had stated,” The New Indian Express further quoted Kumaraswamy.

Despite forming the alliance in the unlikeliest of circumstances following the Assembly election results, the JD(S) and the Congress have announced that they will contest the Lok Sabha elections as pre-poll alliance partners.

In fact, Kumaraswamy’s oath taking ceremony had become a platform of unity of non-BJP parties ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Starting with Congress’ top brass Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan. Other dignitaries present were former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav, BSP supremo Mayawati, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan and RJD’s Tejasvi Yadav.

 

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