Karnataka’s Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge has strongly criticised the central government’s allocation of flood relief funds, accusing it of bias against non-BJP ruled states. Expressing his displeasure on Monday, Kharge alleged that states not aligned with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are repeatedly “short-changed,” while BJP-ruled states consistently receive larger financial support.

His comments came after Union Home Minister Amit Shah approved the advance release of ₹1,950.80 crore as the second instalment of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for the financial year 2025–26. Of this, ₹384.40 crore has been allotted to Karnataka, while ₹1,566.40 crore was sanctioned for Maharashtra, to help both states provide immediate relief to people affected by extremely heavy rainfall and floods during this year’s southwest monsoon.

Calling the central aid “grossly insufficient,” Kharge said, “It is becoming a regular practice by the central government where they stifle us by not giving enough funds, although we are one of the highest GST collecting states. We are the highest IT payee state, number one in IT exports, and our contribution to India’s GDP is more than 8.9 percent.”

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kharge asserted that despite Karnataka’s major contribution to the national economy, the state continues to face “unfair treatment” when it comes to devolution of taxes and disaster relief funds.

“Even now, as per the norms, the funds that have been released are just not enough. We have reported huge losses. While BJP states get more, the states that are not with the NDA or BJP are always short-changed,” he added.