BJP targets Siddaramaiah over Rs 47 crore air travel expenses, labels him ‘Majawadi’
BJP leader CT Ravi slammed Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after government records revealed that the state spent over Rs 47 crore on his helicopter and chartered flights between May 2023 and November 2025. Ravi questioned the CM’s so-called ‘socialist’ image, saying Siddaramaiah has shifted from “Samajwadi” to “Majawadi,” suggesting luxury and personal indulgence.
Ravi criticized Siddaramaiah’s preference for air travel, claiming that he avoids road travel due to poor conditions, forcing taxpayers to bear the cost. “From ‘Samajwadi’, Siddaramaiah is now ‘Majawadi’. He avoids roads because of the poor conditions. The people of the state are paying for his air travel,” Ravi said in a statement.
The criticism sparked a response from Siddaramaiah’s economic advisor and Congress MLA Basavaraj Raya Reddy. He defended the expenditure, stating that the CM, at 79, uses air travel only for official tours. “What’s wrong with this? It’s not a big amount compared to the thousands of crores spent by the Prime Minister,” Reddy said.
The details of Siddaramaiah’s air travel emerged through a written reply to BJP MLC N. Ravi Kumar, who had sought information on the CM’s chartered flights. According to the data, the state government spent Rs 12.23 crore on chartered flights for the Chief Minister and his entourage during the 2023-24 financial year. These trips frequently connected Bengaluru’s HAL Airport with districts such as Mysuru, Hubballi, Belagavi, and Kalaburagi.
In 2024-25, the expenditure increased sharply to Rs 21.11 crore. Records indicate multiple multi-sector tour programs, especially in early 2024, which included helicopter journeys to Udupi, Chitradurga, Haveri, Bidar, and Kalaburagi, alongside fixed-wing flights to metropolitan cities like Chennai and Hyderabad.
Additionally, a separate annexure covering October to November 2025 reports another Rs 14.03 crore spent on chartered services, with entries specifically labeled as “CM and others Aircraft sector.” These figures highlight extensive use of both helicopters and chartered planes over a two-and-a-half-year period.
BJP leaders argue that the scale of these expenditures contradicts Siddaramaiah’s public image as a leader focused on welfare and frugality. They claim the lavish spending on air travel reflects a disconnect between political messaging and personal lifestyle.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders maintain that these trips support official administrative and developmental programs. They argue that extensive travel is necessary for governance in a large and diverse state like Karnataka, which requires oversight of multiple districts and coordination with metropolitan hubs.
The debate raises broader questions about accountability and transparency in official expenditure. It also fuels ongoing political narratives, with the opposition highlighting perceived extravagance while the ruling party defends operational necessities.
As air travel costs for state leaders come under scrutiny, political analysts expect both parties to continue debating the issue in media and legislative forums, framing it as a mix of governance efficiency and ethical leadership standards.
