'Very High Price Tag': BJP's 'Simple Socialist' Jibe At Siddaramaiah Over Rs 43 Lakh Watch

Last Updated:December 03, 2025, 09:12 IST

The BJP has slammed Siddaramaiah for wearing a Rs 43 lakh luxury watch during a breakfast meeting with DK Shivakumar, calling it an example of his “extravagant mindset.”

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar (Photo: PTI)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, targeting him for allegedly wearing a luxury watch worth Rs 43 lakh during a breakfast meeting with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

The BJP claimed that Siddaramaiah’s choice of accessory exposes an “extravagant mindset" and questioned the sincerity of his socialist credentials.

In a post on X, the Karnataka unit of the BJP wrote, “Mr Siddaramaiah, your definition of Socialism seems to come with a very high price tag."

“While the people of Karnataka struggle with drought and crumbling infrastructure, our ‘Simple Socialist’ CM flaunts a Santos de Cartier," it mentioned.

The controversy comes in the backdrop of a series of high-profile breakfast meetings between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, believed to be aimed at demonstrating unity within the ruling party.

Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence in Sadashivanagar on Tuesday for another such meeting, which also included Shivakumar’s brother, DK Suresh, former Congress MP and Kunigal MLA HD Ranganath.

News agency PTI quoted sources as saying that the breakfast menu included a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, such as idli and ‘nati koli saaru’ (country chicken curry), despite Siddaramaiah being a vegetarian.

The meetings are seen as part of a strategy by the Congress high command to quell the ongoing leadership tussle within the party and signal Siddaramaiah’s continuation as the Chief Minister ahead of the Belagavi legislature session scheduled to begin on December 8.

The internal power struggle gained attention after the Congress government in Karnataka reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, triggering speculation about a potential change in the chief ministership.

Despite the BJP’s criticism, Siddaramaiah maintained that there were no differences between him and Shivakumar, stating that they were running the government unitedly like “brothers" and would continue to do so.

He emphasised that both leaders would abide by the Congress high command’s decision regarding the leadership issue, noting that Shivakumar would assume the chief minister position whenever the party decides.

Shivakumar also reiterated the same stance, saying, “They will have to call us," referring to discussions with the high command.

The breakfast on Tuesday followed an earlier meeting at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, which had been orchestrated by the party leadership to resolve the leadership logjam.

Both leaders had publicly declared that “there won’t be any confusion" and pledged to follow the high command’s directives on the matter.

About the Author

Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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