3 min readBengaluruApr 1, 2026 06:47 PM ISTFormer Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa. (File Photo)Before the 2023 polls, the Congress went to town alleging massive corruption under BJP rule. Irregularities in Covid procurements and the alleged commission menace became rallying cries for the party ahead of the elections. However, there has been little headway in these cases despite the Congress being in power for close to three years now.Highly placed sources in the Government told indianexpress.com that the procedure to book senior politicians and officials in connection with Covid procurement was hampered. “This was due to lobbying by politicians and senior officials to ensure that their names do not feature in the FIRs filed,” a senior official privy to the development said.Although comprehensive reports on both Covid irregularities and the “40 per cent commission” allegation levelled by the Karnataka State Contractors’ Association have been submitted to the Government, lobbying has prevented any progress in bringing the guilty to justice, the official said.The Congress Government constituted commissions of inquiry under retired Justices H N Nagamohan Das and Justice Michael D’Cunha to investigate the commission allegation and Covid irregularities, respectively, in August 2023. Subsequently, the Government also announced a Special Investigation Team (SIT) after the commission confirmed evidence of corruption and inflated cost estimates for projects.While the Nagamohan Das commission submitted its report in March last year, the Cunha commission submitted 26 volumes of its report. Of these, 11 volumes were submitted in August 2024, followed by seven in April 2025 and the remaining volumes in December last year.In its preliminary report, the commission recommended action against former chief minister B S Yediyurappa and former health minister B Sriramulu. An FIR was registered against officials in December 2024, based on the report.Apart from this, the Government has not initiated any action and is dragging its feet on prosecuting those involved in the irregularities.Story continues below this adAccording to a reply given by the Government in the Legislative Council during the recent budget session, the SIT is yet to be formed. “If there is prima facie evidence of crime, the CM has instructed to file FIRs and initiate action. The SIT can be formed only after FIRs are registered,” the reply dated March 26 said.Similarly, regarding the Covid irregularities, the Government said it formed a Cabinet subcommittee to review the D’Cunha panel’s report, in addition to another high-level committee under the additional chief secretary to finalise the report’s recommendations.“Neither of them has made much headway,” the official said, adding that any action was unlikely to be initiated against the culprits any time soon.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Karnataka