VIJAYAPURA: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said the rise in petrol and diesel prices had no connection with the election results.
Speaking to the media before taking part in the inauguration of a new temple dedicated to Madhvananda Swami and the unveiling of the Sangoli Rayanna statue at Inchageri village in Vijayapura district on Sunday, the Chief Minister denied allegations by Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka that the government’s move was in retaliation for the Indian National Congress’ performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka.
“In a democracy there are victories and defeats,” the prime minister said in response to a question about the impact of rising fuel prices on the elections.
He acknowledged that the Indian National Congress failed to achieve the expected results in the recent elections in Karnataka, but said the Bharatiya Janata Party’s tally fell from 25 to 19 seats, while the Indian National Congress secured nine seats this time as against just one in the 2019 elections.
Siddaramaiah clarified the state’s fuel tax structure and noted that tax cuts have been implemented since April 2021, with petrol tax coming down from 35% to 25.92% and diesel tax coming down to 14.34%. He noted that despite the recent hikes, fuel prices in Karnataka remain lower than neighbouring states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra.
“The cut in petrol and diesel taxes is not election-driven and is aimed at balancing tax rates vis-à-vis other states,” Siddaramaiah stressed, refuting allegations that the adjustments were politically motivated.
Responding to recent criticism within Congress over the ambitious five guarantees, Siddaramaiah reiterated that these measures are being implemented for the welfare of the poor and not as an electoral strategy. He denied rumours that the subsidy programme would be stopped and asserted that it would continue in the public interest.
