Chief Minister Siddaramaiah denied a link between election results and petrol and diesel price hikes, despite a backlash from citizens. He acknowledged the Congress's loss in Vijayapura and the BJP's drop in seats. Petrol and diesel prices were reduced after the Centre cut autofuel taxes.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday claimed there was no relationship between the election results and increase in the prices of petrol and diesel as Saturday’s unexpected announcement of a steep hike triggered a widespread backlash from citizens.
The CM admitted that the Congress had lost in Vijayapura though it had hoped to win it. The party had not won as many seats as it had expected.
But compared to the 2019 election results, the Congress has won nine seats, while the BJP ’s tally had dropped from 25 to 19, he added in response to criticisms from Opposition leader R Ashoka that the government has increased fuel prices to retaliate against voters for not backing the party in the elections.
As of April 11, 2021, petrol had 35% and diesel had 24% sales tax, but the state slashed the rates after the Centre cut its taxes on autofuels.
Even after the increase, petrol rates in Karnataka were at par with Tamil Nadu, but it was much higher in Maharashtra, Kasargod in Kerala, Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad and in Maharashtra.
He rejected Union Industries Minister HD Kumaraswamy ’s charge that Karnataka never had petrol/diesel prices so expensive and said the prices of autofuels were much higher in the BJP-ruled states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.