Last Updated:
Siddaramaiah defended the legislators’ right to travel, emphasising that the state should not interfere if individuals choose to vacation using their own financial resources
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah (Image: PTI/File)
Karnataka’s political landscape has seen resort politics quite a few times over the last decade or so and those memories have come rushing back again as a significant group of Congress legislators prepares for an extensive tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Documents accessed by CNN-News18 reveal a list of 14 MLAs and MLCs who have sought No Objection Certificates for the journey, which is scheduled to take place from February 16 to March 3. While the excursion was initially presented as a formal study trip sanctioned by the animal husbandry department to examine dairy productivity models, it has increasingly taken on the appearance of a private getaway for a faction of “like-minded” lawmakers closely aligned with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The timing of the departure has ignited intense speculation within the corridors of Vidhana Soudha, coinciding with a high-stakes visit to Delhi by deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar. The diplomatic friction comes amid persistent rumours regarding potential power-sharing discussions expected to follow the conclusion of the upcoming Budget session. Adding weight to the political undertones of the trip is the involvement of urban development minister Byrathi Suresh, a staunch Siddaramaiah loyalist who is reportedly acting as the primary organiser, while animal husbandry minister K Venkatesh is slated to lead the delegation through the arrangements facilitated by a travel agency.
In response to the growing controversy, Siddaramaiah defended the legislators’ right to travel, emphasising that the state should not interfere if individuals choose to vacation using their own financial resources. “If they go at their own expense, can we ask them not to go?” the chief minister asked reporters. “The MLAs and MLCs are going on a foreign trip with their own money. I don’t know about this.” He maintained a stance of distance from the logistics, even as the list of 14 travellers, including K Venkatesh, B Devendrappa, and Anil Chikkamadhu, became public.
However, the chief minister’s version appeared to be in conflict with statements made by those on the traveller list. Chamarajanagar MLA C Puttarangashetty, who is participating in the tour, asserted that the programme is rooted in official government business. “We are going on a foreign tour from February 18 to March 3. We are going on a study tour organised by the animal husbandry department to Australia and New Zealand,” Puttarangashetty stated. He added: “About 20-25 MLAs are going. Others are coming with their family too. This has been organised by the state government. Whoever is interested can go but if they say that we will have to pay, then it will be at our expense maybe.”
The move has reportedly drawn the ire of the Congress high command, with party sources indicating that the leadership is displeased by the optics of a mass movement during such a critical political juncture.
Addressing the rumours of internal rift, DK Suresh, former MP and brother of the deputy chief minister, took steps to distance the KPCC president from the initiative. “The MLAs could be going on a personal tour or the trip could be useful to others,” Suresh noted. “But there is no connection between Shivakumar and this tour. If anyone is falsely connecting this tour to DK Shivakumar, they are doing it to bring a bad name to him. Someone from our party must be doing it or from the opposition, but DK Shivakumar is not part of this.”
February 12, 2026, 11:20 IST
Read More
