BENGALURU: Defending the State Budget 2026–27, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, responding to criticism from the Opposition, said, “Even when compared to the progressive states around us in South India, our fiscal deficit remains within the prescribed limits. Opposition leader R. Ashoka has not studied the budget in depth. All his efforts seem to be focussed on getting headlines.”
Speaking at the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, CM Siddaramaiah stated, "As per the revised estimates for 2025–26, the state’s fiscal deficit will be 2.95 per cent. In comparison, it is 3.0 per cent in Maharashtra, 4.5 per cent in Andhra Pradesh, 3.8 per cent in Kerala, and 3.5 per cent in Tamil Nadu."
"Ideally, there should be no revenue deficit. However, a revenue deficit exists not only in states like Maharashtra and other southern states, but also at the level of the Union government. Among them, Karnataka and Maharashtra have relatively lower revenue deficits, " CM Siddaramaiah noted.
"Opposition leaders such as BJP State President and MLA, B.Y. Vijayendra, have alleged that the budget is being revised every year due to poor revenue collection. Compared to budget estimates, the actual or revised own revenue collections of neighbouring states have been lower.