In the Monsoon Session of the Karnataka legislature,the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular) failed to create the political space needed for the legislature to function normally.
| Photo Credit: special arrangement
The just-concluded Karnataka legislature Monsoon Session, held amid growing discontent among ministerial aspirants, was among the most disappointing in recent years, with both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular) failing to create the political space needed for the legislature to function normally.The outcome is particularly significant for Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, as this was effectively his first major legislature session in his present phase of political leadership.The Opposition made the resignation of Minister B. Nagendra over his alleged role in the embezzlement of funds in the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation the central issue. The continuous agitation resulted in several important Bills, including those involving public interest, being passed without meaningful debate.No middle pathThe Congress government, too, showed little inclination to seek a political compromise. Neither side appeared willing to find a middle path between protest and legislative business, observed a veteran legislator.The Opposition appeared convinced that disruption was the only way to force the government to respond, while the government seemed to believe that yielding an inch would encourage further disruption. Caught between these two positions, the space for legislative debate disappeared. As a result, political sound bites outside the legislature became louder than substantive deliberation inside.The government could have allowed a time-bound discussion on the allegations against Mr. Nagendra or agreed to some form of legislative scrutiny without conceding the Opposition’s demand for his resignation. The Opposition, for its part, could have used such a debate to politically corner the government rather than obstructing legislative business.The worrying aspect was the manner in which important legislations were passed. A Bill allowing up to 5% of park land to be utilised for public utility projects was among those cleared amid the din, raising concerns about the scrutiny given to a measure that could have significant implications for Bengaluru’s green spaces.Slogans replaced debateThe session also demonstrated how legislative politics is increasingly becoming performative. The BJP and the JD(S) used slogans and protests in the well of the House to attract public attention. The Congress, instead of creating space for sustained debate, largely responded politically. The result was more television footage than legislative deliberation.The timing of the session was particularly important, as Karnataka faces several pressing issues requiring detailed discussion — drought, Bengaluru’s infrastructure and traffic problems, the Bidadi Township Project, ration cards, delays in pension payments, release of Cauvery water, and alleged scam in Karnataka Public Services Commission (KPSC). All these issues got buried in the pandemonium.Legislators on both sides expressed frustration over the continuing disruptions, with even Congress members at one point protesting against the disorderly functioning. The premature conclusion gives the Opposition another political weapon: that the government failed to manage the House effectively.Siddaramaiah loyalistsAnother political layer to the session was the relative silence of Congress legislators considered close to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, particularly those who failed to secure Cabinet berths.Their silence may indicate that the internal equation within the Congress is entering a new phase. Several of these legislators have reasons to be dissatisfied — exclusion from the Cabinet, uncertainty over a possible future expansion and the changing balance between the camps of Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar.The election of presiding officers of both Houses was perhaps the only significant bright spot of the session that ended prematurely. Published - August 25, 2026 07:12 pm IST
