Budget: BJP Woos Traditional Votes in Karnataka, Telangana Stays on the Fringe

Reporter: Nikhila Henry

Video Producer: Shohini Bose

VIdeo Editor: Rahul Sanpui

In Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's budget speech only two states in the country were mentioned – Karnataka and Telangana. While the Centre has allocated Rs 5,300 crore towards irrigation in central Karnataka, Hyderabad is expected to get a push for millet cultivation and marketing.

Incidentally, Karnataka and Telangana are two southern states which are heading for polls in 2023. What does this budget push mean for the states?

Here's a look.

Why Central Karnataka? Support for Hindutva Hotbed

In the speech, Nirmala Sitharaman, was clear that the budget allocation is for development of irrigation in "drought prone central Karnataka" which comprises the districts of Tumakuru, Davangere, Haveri, Chitradurga, Shivamogga, Raichur, Chikkamagaluru, and Koppal. However, the specific project that would get the funding is Upper Bhadra irrigation project which is expected to irrigate 2.25 lakh hecters of Chitradurga, Chikkamagaluru, Tumakuru, and Davangere districts.

Why the investment push in these districts? For starters, central Karnataka did stand by the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2018 elections. Among constituencies in these districts 34 MLAs belong to the saffron party, as against the Congress' 14 MLAs and JD(S)' five.

Meaning, the boost for central Karnataka is a also a boost for the BJP's traditional supporters.

Take for instance, Haveri – the home district of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai – where five of the six seats were won by the BJP in 2018. On Twitter, Bommai was quick to thank Sitharaman and the Union government for the support. In Karnataka, the Assembly elections are expected to be held within three months.

Another district, Shivamogga, where the BJP had won five seats against the Congress' tally of one, has been a hotbed for Hindutva politics. From Hijab row to an alleged political murder, the district has been on the boil.

But who will be the legislators to benefit from this push?

Bommai, as the chief minister and also an elected representative from Shiggaon constituency, takes the cake. However, there are stalwart BJP leaders BS Yediyurappa, Araga Jnanendra, and KS Eshwarappa who are elected representatives from Shivamogga who could stand to benefit.

While both BS Yediyurappa and KS Eshwarappa are leaders who saw to the growth of the BJP in Shivamogga and beyond, Home Minister Jnanendra has the support of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Agriculture Minister BS Patil, who was elected from Haveri district, too could stand to boast of the Centre's interest in the region.

A boost for such a region, could help retain the traditional votes of the BJP which is seemingly reeling under widespread anti-incumbency sentiment, thanks to the Congress' campaigns that focused on corruption and failing governance.

Hyderabad Finds a Mention, But Is Telangana Not in Focus?

As per the budget speech, the Indian Institute of Millet Research in Hyderabad will very much be part of the Union government's push for millet farming in the country. The research institute was declared a Centre of Excellence "for sharing best practices, research and technologies at the international level," in the budget.

This could be seen as a nominal support for Telangana, a state where the BJP has been going all out to increase its vote and seat share. However, the budget does indicate that Telangana is far from being favoured the way a key state, Karnataka, gets favoured in the Centre's calculations. In Telangana, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), a regional party which was till recently called Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), still has the upper hand and seemingly, the BJP's state leadership has not been able to convince its central leaders otherwise.

In the state, the Assembly election is expected to be held by the end of 2023.

However, BJP leaders in the state maintained that the push for Telangana could come closer to the elections. There could be a lumpsum grant allocated to the state over and above the budget allocations, a senior BJP leader told The Quint, adding elections are not the only priority for the party in Telangana where a long-term agenda to develop the party is at play.

The absence of major announcements for Telangana has, however, come as a boost for the BRS, which has been maintaining that the Centre has ignored the state as it is ruling by a party in the Opposition.

Perhaps, the budget clarifies the BJP's priority – first comes hope for a win in Karnataka and next, a possible electoral progress in Telangana.