Karnataka Budget 2018: CM says, I am guided by Basavanna, Ambedkar, Gandhi

With assembly elections round the corner, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah is busy preparing himself for the government's last budget. The budget will be presented on today (February 16). This will be his sixth budget of the Congress and Siddaramaiah's 13th as the Finance Minister. Siddaramaiah's poll-bound budget is likely to be overshadowed by the SC verdict on Cauvery that has far-reaching implications for the state, especially farmers in the districts in Cauvery basin.

Meanwhile, in a much-awaited verdict, Supreme Court orders release of 177.25 TMC of Cauvery water for Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to get an additional 14.75 TMC, While presenting the Budget "I picture the last person who needs a help, the farmer who needs hope and the girl who has a dream, says CM I am guided by Basavanna, Ambedkar, Gandhi, says Siddaramaiah. CM Siddaramaiah is all set to present Budget 2018. He tweeted, "Looking forward to presenting my 13th Budget as CM/FM. It has been a great journey of 4 decades as a farmer’s leader, as a Kannada Activist, as a Minister, as a Leader of Opposition & as CM Have changed policy in favor of the poor. There is more to do."

Former CM BS Yeddyurappa says, "Siddaramaiah's full-fledged budget is a strategy to deceive the voters two months before elections. Instead of announcing projects that can not be enforced, vote-on-account budget should be presented. As soon as we come to power, we will present a full-fledged, massive, pro-farmer budget." In his record 13th Budget, CM Siddaramaiah is expected to announce a Budget the size of more than Rs. 2 Lakh crores. A historic first for Karnataka, says Congress.

The Cabinet has decided to hold the budget session from February 16 to 28 and which is also expected to woo the electorate. Last year, the Chief Minister had presented the budget on March 15. Since the elections are likely to be held during the last week of April or May first week, the government will hardly have a few weeks to implement budget announcements. However, this didn't go well with BJP's BS Yeddyurappa who was his predecessor. He told Siddaramaiah, who also holds the finance portfolio, that considering the Assembly elections are due in Karnataka in April-May this year, he cannot present a full Budget. However, the chief minister rejected the BJP's objections, saying it's not against the principles of the Constitution to present a full Budget in an election year. The BJP came to power on its own for the first time in 2008 but lost to the Congress after five years in the May 2013 assembly election.