Copyright thehindu
The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday ordered issue of notice to the State government on a PIL petition filed by Jagadeesh Shivayya Gudagunti, BJP MLA from Jamkhandi constituency in Bagalkot district, alleging discrimination in the distribution of funds under the Chief Minister’s Infrastructure Development Program (CMIDP) to the constituencies represented by MLAs from the Opposition. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Poonacha adjourned further hearing till January 21, 2026, while directing the government to file its response to the averments made in the petition. Pointing out that the CMIDP was announced in the State Budget for 2025-26 by making allocation of ₹8,000 crore for this purpose, it has been alleged in the petition that the government has discriminated in distributing funds to Assembly constituencies represented by the Opposition as only ₹25 crore has been allotted to such constituencies as against the ₹50 crore allotted to the constituencies represented by the ruling party MLAs. For other constituencies, like Mudhol, Bilagi, Badami, Bagalkot, and Hunagund, in Bagalkot district, which are represented by MLAs from the ruling party, the government has released ₹50 crore from CMIDP whereas only ₹25 crore was distributed for the petitioner’s constituency, it has been alleged in the petition. The unequal distribution of funds from budgetary scheme based on political representation of the Assembly constituency amounts to violation of fundamental right guaranteed under Article 14 (equality before law) and Articles 38 ( State to secure a social order for the promotion of welfare of the people) and 39 (Certain principles of policy to be followed by the State) of the Constitution, it has been argued. It has been contended in the petition that the amount allocated to constituencies under CMIDP is based on “political affiliation of the MLAs’” as Congress MLA and CM’s Economic Adviser Basavaraj Rayaraddi, in July, had categorically stated during a press conference in Hubballi that ₹50 crore would be released for constituencies of Congress MLAs and ₹25 crore for the constituencies of the opposition party MLAs from CMIDP.
