Bengaluru's Rs 2,000 Crore Development Grant Heavily Favours Congress Constituencies; BJP Alleges Road Funds Diverted

Bengaluru's Rs 2,000 Crore Grant: Congress Constituencies Get Lion's Share, BJP Cries Foul

Bengaluru, June 29: The Karnataka government's Rs 2,000 crore special development package for Bengaluru has triggered a sharp political row, with Congress-held assembly constituencies cornering the largest shares of the grant while BJP-held seats are allocated the minimum.

Zone-Wise Breakdown

Under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) framework, the North Zone received the largest share at Rs 466.5 crore, followed by the West Zone (Rs 415 crore), South Zone (Rs 328 crore), and Central Zone (Rs 311.5 crore). The East Zone received the lowest allocation — just Rs 110 crore — despite being home to Bengaluru's major IT corridors including Whitefield, Bellandur, Varthur, Panathur, Kadugodi, Hoodi, and Kundalahalli. Residents there have long complained about potholed roads, severe flooding, crippling traffic, and inadequate infrastructure, making the meagre allocation a fresh source of public anger.

Constituency Allocations: Top Earners

All of the highest-funded constituencies are represented by Congress MLAs:

• Shivajinagar – Rs 80 crore
• Bytarayanapura – Rs 80 crore
• Gandhinagar – Rs 73 crore
• Chamrajpet – Rs 71.5 crore
• Bommanahalli – Rs 60 crore
• BTM Layout, Yashwanthpur, Shanthinagar, Mahadevapura – approximately Rs 50 crore each

BJP Constituencies Receive Minimum Allocation

In contrast, BJP-held constituencies each received just Rs 40 crore — the lowest slab in the distribution:

• Chikpet
• Mahalakshmi Layout
• Malleshwaram
• Rajajinagar
• Basavanagudi
• Jayanagar

What the Funds Cover

Of the Rs 2,000 crore total, Rs 1,631 crore is earmarked for roads, storm drains, and footpaths. The remaining Rs 369 crore is designated for civic infrastructure and special projects: parks, community halls, educational institutions, health facilities, sports infrastructure, markets, and lake development.

BJP's Allegations

Opposition Leader R. Ashok took to X (formerly Twitter) to accuse Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar of distributing taxpayer money along party lines. "This is not Congress money — it is the people's tax money. The CM must be for everyone, not just for Congress. Potholes, flooding, and traffic are being ignored. Bengaluru needs equal development, not discrimination," he wrote.

BJP also alleged that the Rs 369 crore sub-allocation, nominally shown as road-development funds, is being illegally diverted to build Congress MLA offices, community halls, multipurpose buildings, and parks — in violation of the grant's stated purpose.

Congress Fires Back

Minister M.B. Patil dismissed the charges, countering that when BJP governed under Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, BJP MLAs received Rs 50 crore each while Congress MLAs got only Rs 25 crore — exactly half. "Let them introspect on how much was allocated to Congress constituencies during Bommai's tenure," Patil said, adding that Congress MLAs submitted stronger development proposals, which is why they received more.