Congress vs Congress in K'taka: Minister, MLA Spar Over 'Empty Coffers' After Guarantees

A public rift has emerged within the Karnataka Congress over the state's finances, with Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan and MLA Rizwan Arshad offering conflicting views on the impact of the Siddaramaiah government's guarantee schemes. While Khan claimed a fund crunch for developmental works due to the high cost of guarantees, Arshad strongly refuted this. Rizwan Arshad stated, 'a state which has reserved Rs 78,000 crores for capital investment cannot say that we don't have money for developmental works'. The disagreement highlights internal tensions over the allocation of funds, as some ruling party MLAs reportedly demand the release of funds for their constituencies, alleging that development is being sidelined for the populist guarantee programs.