Memories of high-stakes political manoeuvring have resurfaced in Karnataka after a group of Congress legislators sought permission to travel to Australia and New Zealand for what is described as a study tour on dairy productivity, prompting questions over timing, intent and the stability of the ruling party’s internal equations.Official documents indicate that 14 Members of the Legislative Assembly and Members of the Legislative Council applied for No Objection Certificates to undertake the trip from 16 February to 3 March. The visit has been framed as an exposure programme facilitated through the animal husbandry department to examine cooperative dairy models and livestock management systems in Australia and New Zealand, both globally recognised for advanced dairy practices.
The development has reignited debate in a state long familiar with “resort politics” — a phrase that gained currency during previous episodes of political instability, most notably in 2019 when defections from the Congress–Janata Dal coalition led to the collapse of the H D Kumaraswamy government. Legislators were flown to resorts outside the state in efforts to prevent poaching by rival parties, culminating in the formation of a Bharatiya Janata Party government under B S Yediyurappa.
Congress leaders insist the present tour bears no resemblance to those turbulent episodes. Senior figures have described the visit as a routine study initiative aimed at strengthening Karnataka’s dairy sector, which is anchored by the Karnataka Milk Federation and its flagship brand Nandini. The state is among the country’s leading milk producers, and the federation’s cooperative model has often been cited as a success story in rural economic development.
Supporters of the tour argue that Australia and New Zealand offer valuable lessons in productivity, herd genetics, pasture management and export-oriented dairy value chains. New Zealand’s dairy industry, led by cooperative giant Fonterra, has developed advanced systems in farm management, sustainability standards and global marketing. Australia’s sector, though smaller, is noted for high-efficiency operations and technological integration in animal health monitoring and supply chain logistics.
However, the optics of the trip have drawn scrutiny from opposition parties and sections within Congress itself. Critics question whether a fortnight-long overseas visit involving a sizeable bloc of legislators is essential at this juncture, especially when the state faces fiscal pressures and politically sensitive policy debates. Karnataka’s budget session is approaching, and factional undercurrents within the Congress have periodically surfaced despite the party’s decisive victory in the 2023 Assembly elections.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar represent the two most prominent power centres within the state unit. While public statements from both camps project unity, speculation over leadership equations has persisted since the formation of the government. The legislators reportedly seeking to travel are widely seen as aligned with the chief minister, adding a layer of political interpretation to what might otherwise have been a technical study tour.
Political analysts note that overseas study visits by lawmakers are not unprecedented. Legislators across states have participated in delegations to examine agricultural models, urban planning frameworks and renewable energy projects abroad. Yet the scale and composition of this delegation, coupled with Karnataka’s history of defections and cross-voting, has amplified attention.
The term “resort politics” entered common parlance during earlier crises when parties sought to secure their numerical strength by isolating legislators in hotels or resorts to prevent inducements from rivals. The 2019 episode saw multiple resignations that were later upheld by the Supreme Court, reshaping the Assembly’s arithmetic. Those events remain a vivid reference point in the state’s political memory.
Congress functionaries contend that equating a departmental study tour with past containment strategies is misleading. They maintain that the animal husbandry department has long pursued knowledge exchanges to enhance milk yield, disease control and farmer incomes. Karnataka’s dairy sector supports millions of rural households, and productivity gains are central to sustaining cooperative profitability amid rising input costs and competition from private dairies.
Opposition leaders, while not disputing the importance of dairy reform, have questioned the transparency of the selection process and the financial implications. They argue that if the objective is institutional learning, a smaller technical delegation comprising officials and subject-matter experts might have sufficed. Some have also pointed to the political symbolism of legislators travelling together at a time when by-elections and parliamentary alignments remain fluid across the country.
Beyond immediate political calculations, the episode underscores the delicate balance within Karnataka’s ruling party. The Congress returned to power in 2023 on the strength of welfare guarantees and a consolidated social coalition. Sustaining that mandate requires careful management of internal aspirations, regional interests and legislative cohesion.