Karnataka Budget 2019 LIVE Updates: CM hopes all members will uphold the dignity the House

JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda takes a dig at PM Modi and the BJP, saying, "Our promise: Farmers Loan Waiver -Status: Ongoing Modi's promise: Ram Mandir,Clean Ganga,Interlinking of rivers,15Lakh into bank accounts -Status: Never 'Ongoing' is a better status to be in than 'Never'. The only 'Ongoing' status in BJP is 'Operation Lotus' attempt in Karnataka.

Responding to PM Modi's speech in Parliament, CM says, "It is unfortunate that PM Narendra Modi continues to mislead the nation from the Temple of Democracy-the Parliament."

CM Kumaraswamy said, "I aspire to give a budget that addresses the needs of all sections of the society. I wish and hope that all honourable members will uphold the dignity and sanctity of the House."

Hours before the Budget, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy appoints Raichur Congress MLA Basanagouda Daddal as the chairman of Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Board

Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has removed dissenting Congress MLAs Umesh Jadhav from the post of Warehouse Corporation, Chairman. He has been replaced by Pratap Gowda Patil.

The farm loan waiver scheme would be implemented in one stroke with required allocation in the budget instead of completing the process in four stages as was planned earlier, he said, as he took on the state and national BJP leadership for their relentless attack on him on the issue.

"...Without violating fiscal responsibility Act... I'm clearing it completely with allocation for it. In the next financial year, the money that will be released will clear the Rs. 46,000 crore loan waiver commitment made," Kumaraswamy told PTI.

Last month, the Chief Minister held a pre-budget meeting with representatives of various farmers’ groups. During the interaction, farmers demanded that the government drop conditions imposed for loan waiver, and sought higher compensation for crop damage owing to floods and drought, among other things.

All eyes would be on the Assembly as this is the last Budget before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The Interim Budget of BJP government was welcomed for full tax rebate for individual taxpayers with annual income up to 5 lakh rupees and direct cash transfer of Rs 6000 per year for each farmer with less than 2 hectares land holding under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi.

Therefore, the Congress-JDS coalition highly likely to present a pro-farmer and pro-poor budget to overshadow the Union Budget. In the first Budget of the coalition government, the overall size of the budget was Rs 2,13,734 crore. The Budget imposed a host of tax hikes on petrol, diesel, liquor and electricity. The budget has hiked tax rate on petrol from the existing 30 percent to 32 percent, hiking prices in the state by Rs 1.14 per litre. The tax rate on diesel has been hiked from the present 19 percent to 21 percent increasing its price by Rs 1.12 per litre.

Meanwhile, former Karnataka CM and Congress leader Siddaramaiah issued another 3 line whip directing the four dissenting Congress MLAs to attend Congress Legislative Party meeting, and warned of action as per the anti-defection law. The first day of the 10-day Budget session started off on a stormy note with anti-government sloganeering by the BJP legislators, forcing the Governor to end his speech within five minutes.

The Congress is likely to initiate the disqualification of its MLAs who don’t turn up

The BJP on the other hand is in two minds on whether to disrupt proceedings or boycott the session.

The government could also adjourn the House sine die

For the budget to be passed, a simple majority would be sufficient.