Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah finds himself embroiled in a major political controversy after official government records disclosed an expenditure exceeding Rs 47 crore on his personal helicopter and special aircraft journeys from May 2023 to November 2025, drawing sharp accusations from the opposition BJP of betraying his long-cultivated image as a humble socialist dedicated to the common man's welfare.
The damning figures were presented in the Legislative Council in response to a pointed query from BJP MLC N Ravikumar, revealing a total of 181 chartered trips — predominantly for the Chief Minister, with one allocated to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot. The yearly breakdown underscores escalating costs: Rs 12.23 crore in the 2023–24 financial year, Rs 20.88 crore in 2024–25, and a substantial Rs 14.03 crore already incurred between April and November 2025, all sourced from private operators under legal exemptions for dignitary travel.
Defending the outlay, Siddaramaiah — who concurrently holds the finance portfolio — maintained in his written submission that every single flight was confined to essential official duties, encompassing critical emergency assessments, high-level meetings with the Central government, and unavoidable administrative obligations across the state, insisting that protocols were strictly adhered to without any personal indulgence.
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The BJP has aggressively capitalised on the revelations, portraying the spending as blatant hypocrisy from a leader who has built his political career criticising elite extravagance and projecting frugality, especially when juxtaposed against Karnataka's pressing financial strains, including drought relief demands and resource allocation for public welfare schemes that directly impact millions of ordinary citizens.
A focal point of public and opposition ire is the Chief Minister's repeated aerial commutes to Mysuru — over 40 instances costing upwards of Rs 5 crore — alongside routine helicopter deployments for short intra-district travel that were conventionally handled by road during his previous tenure. Activists and citizens have vociferously questioned the rationale behind such luxury when the newly inaugurated Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway has drastically reduced ground travel time to approximately 90 minutes, amplifying perceptions of misplaced priorities and detachment from ground realities amid widespread economic hardships.
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