HDK says Karnataka on the downslide under Congress rule

Union Heavy Industries and Steel Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Thursday, December 25, 2025, sought to bring out the contrast between the Center and the State government in terms of good governance.

Participating in the program organized by Kempegowda Foundation, Atal Award presentation and Good Governance Day celebrations here on the occasion of the 101st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Union Minister said that India is on its way to becoming the world’s third largest economic power under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But he said Karnataka, once seen as a model of good governance and development, was now heading towards decline under the Congress government.

“Karnataka was once synonymous with exemplary governance. It had adopted an outstanding development model and emerged as a leader for the entire nation. But under the rule of the Congress government, all these distinctions have disappeared and the State is now moving in the opposite direction,” he said.

At the event, the 2025 Atal Awards were presented to the Director of the Indian Institute of Science and Head of the Department of Mathematics, Prof. Govindan Rangarajan; S. Chandrashekar Shetty, former Vice-Chancellor of Adichunchanagiri University; and HS Nagaraju, founder of BASE and Prayoga institution.

BJP claim

Earlier in the day, BJP State President BY Vijayendra claimed that the party can win 130 to 140 of the total 224 seats in the Karnataka Assembly, irrespective of when the Assembly elections are held.

Speaking to mediapersons, he said the BJP had lost the previous Assembly elections due to its own mistakes. He assured the party cadre that the party would return to power whenever elections were held.