Haveri tops the list with 128 suicides; BJP blames Congress for farmer distress, while Congress counters by accusing the Centre of inaction
Bengaluru: According to official government data, Karnataka has recorded 981 farmer suicides between 2024 and 2025. Out of these, 825 were confirmed as eligible farmers, while 138 others reportedly took the extreme step due to non-agricultural reasons. The state government has so far provided compensation to 807 affected families, while 18 cases are still pending review.
Haveri District Reports Highest Suicides
Among all districts, Haveri reported the highest number of farmer suicides at 128, followed by Mysuru (73), Dharwad (72), and Belagavi (71). In stark contrast, no suicides were reported in Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Udupi, and Kolar districts.
BJP Blames Congress Government for Crisis
Reacting to the disturbing data, BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra launched a scathing attack on the ruling Congress government, alleging that neglect of the farming community has led to a rise in suicides.
“The negligence of the Congress government has increased anxiety among the farmers of the state. There has been no improvement in the agriculture sector since Congress came to power,”
Vijayendra stated in a press briefing.
He further claimed that the Congress government halted several pro-farmer schemes initiated by the previous BJP regime.
“Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, the BJP government was giving an additional ₹4,000 assistance to over 52 lakh farmers. That has now been stopped. Even the Farmers' Education Fund Scheme, which helped children of farmers pursue higher education, has been discontinued. This clearly shows that the farmers of Karnataka have been neglected,”
Vijayendra alleged.
Congress Counters BJP Allegations
Responding to the accusations, Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad accused the BJP and its state leadership of misleading the public and shifting blame.
“BJP and Vijayendra are misleading the people. The Congress government has already raised this issue with the Centre,”
said Arshad, emphasizing that the Centre has failed to fulfill its own promises.
He pointed to the lack of action on Minimum Support Price (MSP) reforms, despite assurances from Prime Minister Modi.
“The PM had promised an increase in MSP, but there’s been no development. Diesel prices have gone up, and so have additional taxes. The state is still providing subsidies to support farmers, but we demand the Centre stop all additional taxes immediately,”
He added.
Pending Compensation and Policy Debate
While most affected families have received compensation, the 18 unresolved cases remain a sensitive issue. Farmer rights organisations have also expressed concern that delays in compensation and a lack of long-term solutions are compounding the distress.
The political tug-of-war over accountability comes at a time when the agriculture sector is facing challenges such as irregular rainfall, rising input costs, market volatility, and shrinking landholdings.
Experts Call for Joint Intervention
Policy experts and agricultural economists are urging coordinated efforts by both state and central governments to address the root causes of farmer suicides through structural reforms, sustainable price guarantees, and improved rural credit systems.
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