Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s extensive use of helicopter travel has sparked controversy, with official records revealing that his chopper expenses amounted to ₹12.65 crore in 2023-24 and ₹19.35 crore in 2024-25, up to January 15, 2025.

What has drawn further criticism is Siddaramaiah’s preference for helicopters even for short distances, such as Mysuru, which is just a 1.5-hour drive from Bengaluru. According to government documents tabled in the legislative assembly, ₹10.85 lakh was spent on a helicopter ride to Mysuru, despite the short travel time by road.

In response to a question raised by JD(S) MLC T.N. Javarayigowda in the Legislative Council regarding the Chief Minister’s use of jets and flights, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) confirmed that Siddaramaiah had opted for chopper travel even for nearby destinations like Mysuru.

The documents further reveal that the Chief Minister booked charter flights to destinations such as Delhi and Chennai, which are well-connected by commercial airlines. One instance highlighted a charter flight to Delhi that cost ₹44.40 lakh, while a business-class round-trip ticket on a commercial airline would have been approximately ₹70,000.

BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar criticized Siddaramaiah’s travel expenses, alleging that the state’s financial priorities were misplaced. He accused the government of allocating significant funds for the Chief Minister’s private jets while development, farmer welfare, and infrastructure projects faced financial constraints.

“Wah @siddaramaiahavare wah! @RahulGandhi’s ‘paradigm change’ governance in full flow in Karnataka—No money for development, No money for farmers, No money for infra, but plenty of money for CM’s private jets and plenty of land to be grabbed,” Chandrasekhar posted on X.

Earlier in the day, a delegation of Karnataka BJP leaders met Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot at Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum against the state government’s Bills.

(Inputs from ANI)