A run for their states' money: Siddaramaiah rewrites Karnataka records

With 17 state Budgets to his name, Siddaramaiah joins an elite group of Indian politicians known for shaping state finances over decades

Siddaramaiah served as the chief minister of Karnataka for eight years and 18 days across two terms (2013-18 and 2023-26), beating the records of D Devaraj Urs (7 years and 239 days) and S Nijalingappa (7 years and 175 days). Additionally Siddaramaiah has achieved another record of presenting 17 state Budgets.   Some state finance ministers who have tabled at least a dozen Budgets:

 

 Asim Dasgupta, West Bengal: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, now 80, presented over 20 Budgets as Bengal’s finance minister from 1987 to 2011. He was known for his ‘zero-deficit’ Budgets, which drew criticism from economists. Dasgupta was the chairman of the first GST Council, and is one of the architects of GST reforms.

 

 

Vajubhai Vala, Gujarat: Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) Vala presented 18 Budgets as the Gujarat finance minister from 1998 to 2012. Vala was also the Rajkot Mayor 5 times and headed the cash-rich Rajkot Nagarik District Cooperative Bank.

 

Siddaramaiah, Karnataka: The former CM presented a total of 17 Budgets in Janata Dal, JD (S) and Congress governments. “When I was preparing my first Budget, there were jibes like ‘What does a shepherd know about finance’. But I did not pay heed,” he has written, adding that economists have praised his Budgets. While focused on welfare schemes, Siddaramaiah’s Budgets raised state revenue, especially through excise.

 

 C Subramaniam, Tamil Nadu: A Congress leader and the architect of the Green Revolution, he is the only TN finance minister (1952-62) to hold the same position in the Union Cabinet (October 1974 to March 1977). He presented 13 state Budgets and two Union Budgets. In his maiden Budget, he proposed the levy of surcharge of one pie per mile on passengers travelling by public buses as a measure to meet the revenue deficit. In the 1957-58 Budget, he provided for ~1 million for midday meals in schools with poor children.

 

M K Karunanidhi, Tamil Nadu: The CM took over the finance portfolio in 1970, delivering 13 Budget speeches in total (1969-76, 1989-91, and 1996-01). In his maiden Budget in 1971, he announced the end of prohibition.

 

K M Mani, Kerala: Kerala Congress (M)’s Mani presented 13 Budgets — the last on March 13, 2015 — in Congress and United Democratic Front governments.

 

T M Thomas Isaac, Kerala: Isaac, 75, has presented a dozen Budgets as the finance minister in Left Democratic Front governments (2006-11 and 2016-21). He is a prolific author, and specialises in the political economy and labour history of Kerala.