As the water levels rise due to incessant rains, so does the political temperature in Bengaluru, with the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP-JD(S) combine vying to blame each other for the deluge in Karnataka’s capital.
“The Congress promised the people to make Bengaluru like London, but we have now ended up with Venice instead,” said Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan, referring to how Bengaluru saw large areas inundated under water due to unprecedented downpours since Monday.
Speaking to News18, Mohan said that the state government’s efforts should be to prepare for such situations, which the city is experiencing more often.
“The effort should be to ensure that the people of Bengaluru are not affected, the city’s image is not impacted, and that immediate relief is provided when such floods take place,” he said.
State leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (Secular), and Congress traded barbs over the severe flooding, accusing their respective governments of negligence and mismanagement.
The BJP, now in opposition, accused the Congress of failing to address Bengaluru’s longstanding urban challenges. BJP leaders in a series of social media posts pointed to the city’s poor drainage systems, pothole-riddled roads, and lack of flood management infrastructure as examples of the current government’s “inefficiency”.
Deputy leader of the opposition in the Karnataka legislative assembly Arvind Bellad wrote on X: “The whole of Bengaluru is drowning after just one day of rain! Roads in Manyata Tech Park and beyond are submerged, with employees unable to reach their workplaces and businesses facing massive disruptions.”
“Industries are suffering due to the city’s crumbling infrastructure, which is the government’s prime responsibility. Is this the ‘Brand Bengaluru’ that the @siddaramaiah-led @INCKarnataka government keeps boasting about? If the city can’t withstand a single day of rain, where’s the planning, accountability, and commitment to its citizens?” he posted.
The BJP accused the Congress government of neglecting infrastructure development. Union minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy blamed unplanned development and lack of political will for Bengaluru’s plight. He said that the future of Bengaluru was at stake.
“Bengaluru’s rain fury has exposed the utter collapse of infrastructure! The Silicon Valley of India is now drowning in @INCKarnataka’s negligence. The IT corridor is flooded, roads are impassable, and the city is sinking. This isn’t just rain; it’s the failure of governance. Congress’ weak policies have ruined Brand Bengaluru. Potential investors are backing off, questioning how a ‘global tech hub’ can’t handle basic urban management. Wake up! The city’s future is at stake,” he wrote on X.
Kumaraswamy also said that the Congress cannot absolve itself of responsibility, having failed to improve basic amenities despite having control over the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
The Congress, for its part, has defended its actions, accusing the BJP and JD(S) of political opportunism and failing to address Bengaluru’s infrastructural issues during their tenure. Congress leaders pointed out that the current government had inherited a city already burdened by unplanned urbanisation, faulty drainage systems, and uncontrolled expansion of real estate, problems that “worsened under BJP rule”.
Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar lashed out at the opposition parties for “shaming Bengaluru” over the rain fury.
“It is not possible to control nature. The government is doing the best it can to manage the rain havoc. The opposition parties must stop tarnishing the image of Bengaluru,” he said to reporters.
Taking note of the criticism by the BJP and JD(S), he said, “Can we tell nature to stop the rains? These are unexpected rains due to cyclones. The government and the people of Bengaluru are capable of handling it.”
Shivakumar, who holds the Bengaluru development portfolio, said he will hold another round of meetings with officials of the BBMP, police department, and fire department to take stock of the situation.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah also countered the criticism saying that the heavy rainfall was an unprecedented event that could have caused flooding anywhere. He urged the opposition to avoid turning the situation into a political tool.
“This is a natural disaster. Instead of politicising it, we should all come together to help the people affected,” he said.
The severe rains that lashed Bengaluru on Wednesday left several parts of the city inundated, crippling transportation, damaging property, and displacing many residents.
“Bengaluru has been hit by heavy rains in the past as well. They have failed to take proactive steps, and now the people of Bengaluru are paying the price. The Congress government has not done anything to improve the situation. We regret voting for such leaders,” said PR Ramesh, a resident of north Bengaluru’s Thanisandra locality with his house among those badly affected by the rain.
Civic evangelist V Ravichandar pointed out that in the absence of the BBMP, the onus was on the state government to respond effectively in such situations.
“The state government is running the corporation in the absence of the BBMP. Consequently, they are the ones who are unanswerable for this problem. Had there been a corporation it would have been the council that would have been answerable. As of now, it is the state government that needs to work full swing to mitigate the issue,” he said.
