Siddaramaiah backs Stalin, pushes for debate on federalism

KArnataka has officially backed Tamil Nadu’s crowd for a invigorated subject conversation on the equilibrise of powers between the Union and the states, with chief minister Siddaramaiah urging the Centre to create a structured platform for deliberation on federal issues.In a letter dated March 2 to Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, Siddaramaiah expressed support for a renewed examination of Centre–State relations and welcomed a report prepared by a high-level committee constituted by the Tamil Nadu government. The correspondence was in response to Stalin’s February 20 letter forwarding the first part of the committee’s findings, which covered ten key topics ranging from language policy to the Governor, education, health, delimitation, elections, and GST, among others.Taking to X, Siddaramaiah said Karnataka would stand with efforts to initiate a national-level dialogue.“Federalism is not a political demand. It is part of the Constitution,” he said, arguing that states require adequate authority and financial resources to fulfil responsibilities assigned to them.In his letter, Siddaramaiah said that over time the constitutional balance had shifted through growing centralisation in fiscal and legislative spheres. He cited expansive interpretations of the Concurrent List, conditional fiscal transfers, centrally designed schemes with reduced state flexibility and delays in governors granting assent to state legislation as developments that had altered the federal equilibrium.In the letter, Siddaramaiah said Karnataka shares many of the concerns articulated in the committee’s report.“Over the decades, however, a phenomenon of incremental centralisation has altered the federal balance through expansive interpretations of the Concurrent List, conditional fiscal transfers, centrally designed schemes with diminishing State flexibility, and procedural bottlenecks in Governor’s assent,” he wrote, adding that what was conceived as cooperative federalism had increasingly resembled “coercive federalism.”He maintained that fiscal arrangements under Articles 268 to 281 of the Constitution, the role of the Finance Commission under Article 280 and the Goods and Services Tax framework under Article 279A should not dilute the fiscal sovereignty of states. Referring to the doctrine of subsidiarity, he said governance should function at the most immediate level consistent with efficiency.“These are not sectional claims; they are constitutional claims. They arise from a principled commitment to pluralism, diversity, and democratic accountability,” the letter stated, in reference to issues such as language policy, education, public health, fiscal devolution and legislative autonomy.Siddaramaiah added that federal renewal must involve all states, regardless of political affiliation.“The objective, as your letter rightly emphasises, is not to weaken the Union but to right-size it, to ensure that national energy is concentrated on genuinely national priorities, while states are trusted with spheres constitutionally entrusted to them,” he wrote.He proposed that the Union government facilitate dialogue through mechanisms such as a revitalised Inter-State Council under Article 263, a special conclave of Chief Ministers or a structured constitutional review process.“Whether through a revitalised Inter-State Council under Article 263, a special conclave of Chief Ministers, or a structured constitutional review dialogue, the Union must facilitate a forum where states can formally, transparently, and deliberatively place their recommendations,” he said, noting that the absence of such engagement had fuelled perceptions that cooperative federalism had receded in practice.Meanwhile, in his reply to Siddaramaiah, Stalin, in a social media post, said he deeply appreciated Siddaramaiah’s “thoughtful endorsement” of Tamil Nadu’s initiative and recognition that federal renewal must be a collective effort.“As you rightly observed, Unity in a diverse republic like India is sustained not through uniformity, but through constitutional trust,” Stalin said.Part I of the Report of the High-Level Committee on Union-State Relations - in Tamil and English - was tabled in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on February 16, 2026.The committee met in New Delhi on 22 February 2026 to discuss on Part II of its Report.(with agency inputs)