‘It is a let-down’: BJP’s Ashwath Narayan calls Karnataka budget ‘disappointing’

BENGALURU: BJP leader Dr C N Ashwath Narayan on Friday criticised the Karnataka Budget 2026 presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, calling it “disappointing” and lacking clear priorities.

“It is a disappointing, retrograde and not a progressive budget. It is a let-down. There are no priorities. The only remarkable thing is that this is the present CM’s 17th budget — a record only for himself. This has not made any impact”, Ashwath Narayan said while reacting to the state budget.

He also commented on the state government’s proposal to ban mobile phones for students under 16 years of age in schools, saying the idea lacked proper planning. “The thinking is good, but without the right preparation, they came out just for the headlines. No plans and detailing were done. The Congress government failed with regard to governance, welfare, development, law and order. This proposal will see the same fate”, Ashwath Narayan said.

#WATCH | Bengaluru | On Karnataka Budget 2026, BJP leader Dr CN Ashwath Narayan says, “It is a disappointing, retrograde and not a progressive budget. It is a let-down… There are no priorities. The only remarkable thing is that this is the present CM’s 17th budget – a record… pic.twitter.com/aW75ArCHLG

— ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2026

Responding to the criticism, Congress MLA Ajay Singh defended the budget and described it as focused on the welfare of people and farmers. “This is pro-people, pro-farmers. About Rs 5,000 crore is being given for the Kalyana Karnataka region. Nearly Rs 18,000 crore have already been given, and the overall development of the state is being looked at. We are contributing to the country’s GDP. Everyone is getting funds through various projects,” Singh told the media.

On the proposal to restrict mobile phone usage among students, Singh said the measure was aimed at encouraging students to focus on academics. “We want to encourage the students to study more, whereas their spending more time on social media is not just in our country, but in various others,” he said.

Law Minister H K Patil also defended the budget, highlighting its size and focus on social justice and welfare. “The CM presented the budget of Rs 4.44 lakh crore — one of the biggest. He has set a record. The budget has focused on social justice, the welfare of the people and farmers. The message has been given to make the country have more credibility in the federal system”, Patil said.

Responding to the BJP’s criticism of the proposed mobile phone ban for students under 16, Patil said the decision followed extensive discussions. “We have engaged in the discussion of this subject for the last several weeks and took this decision with a lot of thinking and discussion. More clarity will come by the time we totally implement it”, he said.

Earlier, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah rejected the BJP’s criticism, saying the opposition was reacting politically to the financial proposals. The Chief Minister presented the 2026-27 Karnataka Budget with a total outlay of Rs 4,48,004 crore, marking his 17th budget and outlining the government’s focus on welfare, infrastructure and technology-driven growth. (ANI)