BJP slams move to make Siddaramaiah as Karnataka State Rural University chancellor

The Opposition BJP in Karnataka on Friday condemned the Karnataka Congress government’s decision to appoint Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as the new chancellor of the Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) University, replacing Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot.
The BJP termed the move as an attempt to politicise and destabilise the state’s higher education system.
BJP state president B Y Vijayendra criticized the government’s decision, calling it a “conspiracy” to undermine the powers of the governor and disrupt the constitutional framework.
In a post on social media platform X, Vijayendra alleged that the Siddaramaiah-led government’s actions were aimed at introducing “unnecessary political interference” into the university’s functioning.
“With the intention that politics should not influence education, and as per the Constitution, the Governor, who is the constitutional head of the state, traditionally holds the position of chancellor in public universities,” Vijayendra said. He added that the government’s move would “pollute” the higher education system and accused the Congress-led administration of corruption.
Ravi Kumar, BJP MLC and State BJP General Secretary, said, “This cannot happen. The Chief Minister is the one who allocates funds for all these universities. He cannot become the Vice-Chancellor. Only the Education Minister can serve as the Pro-Chancellor.”
The Karnataka cabinet approved the bill on Thursday, which now mandates that the Chief Minister will assume the position of chancellor at the RDPR University in Gadag. The governor has historically held the post for all public universities in Karnataka.
Earlier this year, the state government also moved to divest the governor of the power to appoint the vice-chancellor of the RDPR University, a decision that was made at a cabinet meeting in Kalaburagi in September.
However, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil defended the decision, saying that it would enhance the university’s efficiency by enabling quicker decisions. “This system is already in place in many states, including Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh,” Patil stated.
Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, who currently serves as the chancellor for all public universities in Karnataka, has yet to respond to the government’s decision.