BENGALURU: BJP MLA V Sunil Kumar on Thursday accused the Karnataka government led by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar of giving greater priority to real estate interests than farmers, during a discussion on the drought situation in the state Assembly.
“This is not a farmer-friendly government. It is a real estate government,” the Karkala MLA said, alleging that the administration was giving more importance to industrialist Gautam Adani than to farmers. His remarks referred to the August 23 meeting between Shivakumar and Adani in Bengaluru. The meeting had been described by the chief minister’s office as a courtesy interaction.
Sunil Kumar said Shivakumar frequently described himself as a farmer by birth and should therefore understand the difficulties faced by the farming community.
He also questioned the government’s decision to mark 100 days in office on September 10, saying the administration should instead have focused entirely on the worsening drought situation and measures to restore confidence among farmers.
“Instead of celebrations and publicity, the government should have concentrated on drought management,” he said, alleging that the money spent on newspaper advertisements could have been used to address problems faced by farmers in at least one taluk.
The BJP MLA also sought details of ministers who had visited districts to review drought conditions. He questioned the field visits of Horticulture Minister SS Mallikarjun, Agriculture Minister PM Narendra Swamy and Animal Husbandry Minister K Puttarangashetty.
Sunil Kumar further attacked the government over its financial position, alleging that it was announcing schemes without adequate resources to back them.
“Do not fool the people. I have no expectations from this government,” he said.
His remarks came amid growing focus on drought relief in Karnataka. Chief Minister Shivakumar has separately sought interim financial assistance from the Centre, including 50% of the ₹3,705.30 crore sought in the state’s Kharif 2026 drought memorandum. The state government has also said that 177 taluks have been officially declared drought-hit.
The BJP’s criticism of the government’s priorities comes as the Assembly discusses the impact of rainfall deficiency on agriculture, water availability and the rural economy.