‘Development Zero, Publicity Hero’: Karnataka BJP Chief Accuses Congress Govt Of Spending Rs 473 Crore On Ads

Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Tuesday accused the Congress government in the state of spending Rs 473 crore on advertisements over the past three years while neglecting development and public welfare. He alleged that the government was spending more than Rs 43 lakh every day on publicity instead of addressing pressing concerns such as deteriorating roads, unemployment, farmers' distress and pending payments to contractors.

In a post on X, citing media reports, Vijayendra launched a sharp attack on the state government, saying: "Development zero, publicity hero! The Congress government in Karnataka has reportedly blown a staggering Rs 473 crore on advertisements in just three years.

That is more than Rs 43 lakh every single day -- not for building roads, creating jobs or supporting farmers, but for projecting its own image." The BJP leader alleged that the Congress government had mastered the art of publicity while failing on the governance front.

He pointed to rising milk prices, bus fares, electricity charges and the cost of essential services. "Farmers are battling uncertainty, drought and financial distress, our youth are struggling to find employment, Bengaluru's roads are crumbling, and contractors are desperately waiting for their legitimate pending payments," he said.

Vijayendra also questioned the implementation of the Congress government's five guarantee schemes, alleging that they were facing financial and implementation challenges. "Instead of ensuring timely delivery and addressing people's concerns, the government appears more interested in advertising its promises than fulfilling them," he said.

Alleging that the government cited financial constraints when it came to development but faced no such constraints for publicity, the BJP chief questioned whether this was what the people of Karnataka had voted for. "People are not asking for the Chief Minister's photograph on every newspaper page.

They are asking for better roads, affordable living, employment for their children, timely payments to contractors and genuine support for farmers," he said. A government should be judged by the quality of life it delivers to people and not by the number of advertisements it publishes, Vijayendra added.

Describing the Congress government's model of governance as "publicity without performance, promises without delivery and excuses without accountability", he said public money should be spent on public welfare rather than political self-promotion.

"The people of Karnataka need a government that works on the ground, not one that merely advertises itself in the media," he said. The Karnataka Congress government reportedly spent Rs 473 crore on advertisements over the past three years.

This amounts to more than Rs 43 lakh daily, according to B Y Vijayendra. Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra accused the government. He alleged it neglected development and public welfare while spending heavily on self-promotion and image projection.

Vijayendra alleged neglect of deteriorating roads, unemployment, farmers' distress, and pending payments to contractors. He also cited rising milk prices, bus fares, and electricity charges. He described it as 'publicity without performance, promises without delivery and excuses without accountability.' He claimed the government was a 'publicity hero' with 'development zero.' Sagarika Chakraborty is a Senior Copy Editor at ABP Live English, where she handles business coverage and key developments in general news, while also actively chasing breaking stories.

With a foundation in advertising, she transitioned into journalism to craft in-depth stories and explainers on the economy, real estate, and personal finance. She also engages in interviews and podcasts, bringing out expert insights.

For any tips and queries, you can reach out to her at sagarikac@abpnetwork.com.