Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Monday used the Karnataka government’s third anniversary convention in Tumakuru to defend the Congress administration’s record, highlight progress on election commitments and sharpen attacks on the BJP-led Union government, even as the opposition accused the state government of ignoring growing agrarian distress.Siddaramaiah says Cong fulfilled over 290 poll promises as govt marks three yearsAddressing the “Three Years of Achievement and Dedication” convention, Siddaramaiah said the government had implemented more than half of the promises made in the Congress manifesto ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.“We have fulfilled more than 290 promises out of the 580 assurances included in the manifesto prepared under the leadership of G. Parameshwara. The remaining promises will also be implemented in the next two years,” Siddaramaiah said.The chief minister said the manifesto prepared by the committee headed by home minister G. Parameshwara had served as the government’s roadmap since the Congress came to power. He credited the administration’s five guarantee schemes as central to its governance agenda and said they had been rolled out immediately after assuming office.“We fulfilled the five guarantee schemes one after another immediately after assuming office and are standing before the people after implementing our assurances,” he said.At the event, Siddaramaiah inaugurated an exhibition showcasing the government’s “Nava Karnataka” development model and launched and laid foundation stones for projects worth ₹682 crore in Tumakuru district.Praising the organisers of the convention, Siddaramaiah said Parameshwara and revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda had “voluntarily and meaningfully organised” the programme marking three years of the Congress government.The chief minister also drew a contrast between the Congress government and the BJP, accusing the latter of pursuing divisive politics.“Unlike the BJP, we did not indulge in politics of dividing people in the name of caste and religion. We have disproved their allegations through development,” he said.He extended the criticism to the BJP-led Union government, arguing that Karnataka’s governance approach had outperformed what he described as the “Gujarat model”.“BJP has been in power in Gujarat for 35 years, yet there has been no real development there. The Karnataka model of development has shown that the Gujarat model is hollow,” Siddaramaiah said.Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the chief minister alleged that rising fuel and commodity prices had burdened ordinary citizens while benefiting industrialists.“Poor and middle-class people who once chanted Modi’s name are now disillusioned,” he said.Siddaramaiah also criticised the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), accusing the Union government of mishandling the examination process and ignoring Karnataka’s suggestions for reform.“The Modi government is responsible for playing with the future of 22 lakh students through NEET. Several student suicides have taken place. Our suggestion to conduct examinations on the lines of Karnataka’s CET model was rejected,” he said.He further accused the Centre of failing to fulfil promises relating to jobs, farmers’ income and the recovery of black money.Deputy chief minister D.K. Shivakumar, cabinet ministers and legislators attended the convention, which was organised under the leadership of Parameshwara and Krishna Byre Gowda.During the programme, Parameshwara revived a proposal to rename Tumakuru district as Bengaluru North, citing its proximity to Bengaluru and future infrastructure plans.“Our district is located very close to Bengaluru. Since it is located only 60 kms away, I urge that it should be made a part of Bengaluru,” he said.Referring to the renaming of Ramanagar district as Bengaluru South, Parameshwara urged the government to adopt a similar approach for Tumakuru.“We have already prepared a plan to have Metro rail connectivity to Tumakuru. The chief minister has announced that in the budget. The project is ready. CM and deputy CM should see to it that the project is realised,” he said.Leader of opposition in the legislative assembly R. Ashok accused the government of failing farmers and said it had no moral right to organise anniversary celebrations under such circumstances.“While farmers’ suicides across the country have decreased by 2.22%, in Karnataka they have increased by 22.61%. In 2023, there were 2,423 farmers’ suicide cases; in 2024, this rose to 2,971. According to the NCRB report, Karnataka stands second in the country in farmers’ suicides. This is the Congress government’s ‘Sixth Guarantee’,” Ashok alleged.He said proceeding with celebrations during a period of agrarian distress amounted to “indulging in politics over the graves of farmers”.Ashok also accused the government of neglecting farmers in the state budget and alleged that the Congress administration had failed to respond adequately to agricultural challenges.He claimed the government’s flagship guarantee schemes had become “Suicide Guarantee”, “No Crop Compensation Guarantee”, “No Water Guarantee”, and “No Three-Phase Power Guarantee” for farmers.