The Congress government in Karnataka Friday announced the implementation of two of its five programmes promised in its election manifesto. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah unveiled the Gruha Lakshmi and Yuvanidhi schemes for women and the unemployed via direct benefit transfer (DBT) schemes.

Karnataka is the fourth state to take the DBT route to implement such schemes for the benefit its people. Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh have already operationalised such progammes.

After the first cabinet meeting on May 20, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the government will spent Rs 50,000 crore annually to fulfill the guarantee. He said his government is confident of implementing five guarantees at any cost. The government can arrange the cost after cutting down on wasteful expenditure, he noted.

Under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, Rs 2,000 per month to women heads of all households will be transferred to their bank accounts. Under the Yuvanidhi plan, an allowance of Rs 3,000 per month for graduates aged between 18-25 years and Rs 1,500 per month for diploma holders in the same age group will be disbursed via DBT.

The three other schemes that Congress had promised in the manifesto as guarantees are: Free power of 200 units per month to all households under Gruha Jyothi scheme, 10 kg grain per person per month for below poverty line families under the Anna Bhagya scheme and free bus travel for women under the Gruha Shakti plan. Many people have welcomed the promises and praised the government’s step to fulfill promises made in the Congress manifesto.

Karnataka Rural Development, Panchayat Raj, IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge on Friday said there is no scheme that is free for all but as promised, it will be implemented with the some rules and regulations.

After the implementation of the scheme, many economists have raised their concern about the revenue generation and suggested money can be raised through three sources to bear the cost of the scheme by increasing excise, entertainment taxes, and by hiking rent for government property. Some experts fear it will be difficult for the Karnataka government to raise the revenue and meet the Rs 50,000 crore estimated yearly expenditure which can exceed projections.

In Telangana, the K Chandrasekhara Rao-led BRS government has cumulatively disbursed Rs 65,559 crore over 10 crop seasons with the money deposited into the Aadhaar-seeded accounts of 65 lakh land-owning farmers under the DBT scheme. The YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh has transferred Rs 210,177.89 crore to the 7.89 crore beneficiaries under 28 DBT schemes.

The DBT scheme has been criticized because it has reduced state accountability in public services after DBT disbursal.

Top poll strategist and the man behind Congress campaigns in the recent held Karnataka elections Sunil Kanugolu has been appointed as the chief advisor to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with cabinet minister rank.

Congress after coming to the power in Karnataka after marking a landslide victory officially took charge after Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar were sworn in as the CM and Deputy Chief Ministers respectively on May 20.

Amid the finalisation of the new cabinet formation in the state, the CM office has shared the news of Kanugolu’s appointment as the chief advisor.

Kanugolu, known to be a champion strategist for political parties for political parties was born in the Ballari district of Karnataka.

Congress which secured a huge mandate of 135 seats in the Karnataka assembly elections was said to be because of its campaigns that hit success reaching out to the masses.

Reports said, Kanugolu’s micro-management strategies was what Congress relied heavily on, he was the part of the core strategy building team of the party contributing in the making of catchy campaigns for the party to encircle the BJP during elections.

Some of the key campaigns were PayCM, 40 percent commission among others.

Kanugolu is a key member of  the Congress Task Force 2024, who got appointed in May last year, a team created to execute the Nav Sankalp declaration of the grand old party after its brainstorming session held in Udaipur last year.

The Task Force also includes senior leaders of the party Priyanka Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, KC Venugopal and others.  

Kanugolu was earlier associated with the sharp witted poll strategist Prashant Kishor and was part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2014 Lok Sabha elections campaign.

Kanugolu has earlier also worked for the DMK and AIADMK.

As per reports, the data driven strategist was also behind the planning of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.

Stalemate between the Congress top brass and Karnataka unit chief DK Shivakumar continues over the Chief Minister post as latter has reportedly turned down several offers made to him by party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi.

Quoting sources, an NDTV report said that Kharge and Gandhi made two offers to DK Shivakumar in a two-hour meeting at Delhi today but the Karnataka Congress leader turned down both options.

As per the report, the Congress high command offered Shivakumar the chair of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister—which he will not share with anyone, and six ministries of his choosing. He would also continue to head the state unit of the party.

Another offer pitched by the Congress was the idea of power sharing between Siddaramaiah—who the party seems determined to hand a second term as Chief Minister—and Shivakumar.

This would’ve meant that Siddaramaiah would head the government as Chief Minister for the first two years and then Shivakumar would ascend to the top post for the next three years.

However, the option was reportedly turned down by both leaders as both Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah want a shot at the Chief Minister’s chair first.

According to reports, Shivakumar has been adamant on becoming the next chief minister of Karnataka citing his work in rebuilding the party in the state over the last four years after the debacle of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government’s collapse which happened when a good portion of the party’s MLAs walked out.

Shivakumar is also a big name among the politically Vokkaligas while Siddaramaiah is backed by the AHINDA—a traditional Congress vote bank that consists of minorities, Other Backward Classes, and Dalits.

Earlier, another media report, quoting sources, had claimed that Siddaramaiah will be next chief minister of the state and state party chief DK Shivakumar will be his deputy.

According to an India Today report, after days of deliberating, the Congress high command has finally made up their mind and green-lighted Siddaramaiah as the next chief minister of Karnataka with DK Shivakumar likely to be given the deputy CM responsibilities.

The report, quoting Congress sources, said that Siddaramaiah will likely be sworn-in on Thursday afternoon and will take the oath alone.

A Congress legislator party meeting will also be called tomorrow at Kanteerava Stadium around 3.30 pm, the report said.

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were the main contenders for the state’s top post after the grand old party registered a thumping victory in last week’s Assembly elections by winning 135 out of the 224 seats.

Shivakumar, who along with Siddaramaiah, was the backbone of the Congress campaign that ousted the BJP from power in the recently held elections, is likely to be offered coveted portfolios along with the Deputy CM chair, the report said.