The Karnataka legislature will begin its first meeting of the new year on Monday, and it’s expected to be quite eventful! Both the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP have some divisions among their members, which could lead to some heated discussions. This 15-day session will kick off with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot addressing everyone at the Vidhana Soudha.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is also in charge of the finance department, will present his 16th budget on March 7. This new budget for 2025-26 is expected to be ₹4 lakh crore, which is more than the current ₹3.71 lakh crore.
There are rumors in Congress about changing the Chief Minister. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar wants the top job, but many still support Siddaramaiah staying on. Meanwhile, in the BJP, some members are calling for a new president, B Y Vijayendra, because of disagreements.
Price increases will likely be a big issue. The opposition is expected to criticize the government for hikes in bus fares for state buses and Bengaluru Metro, along with rising milk prices and water rates. They claim the government is putting a burden on the people through various taxes linked with new assistance programs. They also accuse the government of misusing funds meant for Scheduled Caste and Tribal programs.
There will likely be discussions about issues like crime and law enforcement—especially following tensions in Mysuru and a recent incident in Belagavi where a bus conductor was assaulted for not speaking Marathi.
Congress plans to point fingers at the BJP for how Karnataka is being treated by the central government, claiming they’ve had issues with tax sharing and project delays that hurt the state.
Key bills up for debate include the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, which suggests splitting the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) into smaller corporations. The opposition accuses Congress of wanting to divide Bengaluru and delaying local elections.
Another important bill is the Karnataka Micro Loan and Small Loan (Prevention of Coercive Actions) Bill, 2025, aimed at protecting borrowers from harassment by microfinance institutions (MFIs). Finally, there will also be talks about the delay in revealing the ‘caste census’ report.
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