Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of acting with bias after it sought details on fund disbursals under the state's guarantee schemes in poll-bound constituencies.
The ECI wrote to the state government regarding the release of funds in Davanagere South and Bagalkot constituencies, where by-elections are scheduled on April 9.
Siddaramaiah rejected the concerns, saying the schemes were not election-time announcements but ongoing welfare programmes.
He also criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party, accusing it of inconsistency in its position on welfare programmes.
The chief minister questioned the Commission's approach in similar situations elsewhere, saying it was a selective approach that exposed a clear bias.
Siddaramaiah said the government would continue its programmes without interruption, calling the scrutiny 'politically motivated' and 'anti-poor, anti-women, and anti-Karnataka'.
