“One has to have the blessings of people to be in politics. With the blessings of the people I have come so far. I do not know how long I will be there in politics. I have come so far and will continue in the future too. I will remain in politics until I have the blessings of the people,” chief minister Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday, reflecting on his political future as he became the longest serving chief minister of Karnataka.
At 77, Siddaramaiah said continuation of his public life depended entirely on popular support and said he viewed the milestone not as a personal achievement but as a reflection of people’s faith in him.
He also said he was satisfied with the functioning of his administration. The remarks came amid sustained criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has accused the Congress led government of lacking achievements and mismanaging the state’s finances. Siddaramaiah dismissed those claims and accused BJP leaders of making misleading statements.
“Who brought the SCP TSP Act? Did they do it? Did they provide reservation in promotions? Who gave the Anna Bhagya scheme? How can they say I did not do anything? They should ask people what we have done,” he said.
The SCP TSP Act refers to legislation that mandates dedicated budgetary allocations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, while the Anna Bhagya scheme is a food security programme that provides subsidised or free food grains. Siddaramaiah has repeatedly pointed to these measures as evidence of his government’s focus on social welfare and redistribution.
The opposition responded cautiously to the record breaking tenure. Veteran BJP leader and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said comparisons between Siddaramaiah and Devaraj Urs were inappropriate.
Yediyurappa also said the BJP was preparing for a return to power in the state. He said the party was working towards forming the government with a large majority in the 2028 Assembly elections and expressed confidence about winning the upcoming local body polls.
While the political debate continues, preparations are underway to publicly mark Siddaramaiah’s milestone. In Vijayapura, the district administration and the Congress party are organising a special felicitation programme to honour the Chief Minister.
State minister MB Patil announced that a public event would be held on January 9. Addressing a press conference at the District Congress office, Patil said the programme was being organised on behalf of the people of the district to recognise Siddaramaiah’s record.
According to Patil, the visit will also include a series of development related events and inaugurations. These include the inauguration of a statue of Veer Rani Kittur Chennamma at the central bus stand, the unveiling of a nameplate renaming the bus stand in her honour, and the inauguration of a cycling velodrome. Several departmental development works will also be launched or have their foundation stones laid during the visit.
Curated by Dr. Elena Rodriguez
