Gram panchayats to be renamed after Mahatma Gandhi in Karnataka

In the Karnataka Budget 2026, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that all gram panchayats will be renamed 'Mahatma Gandhi Gram Panchayats' to honour Gandhi's vision of village self-rule. He also criticised the Centre for scrapping MGNREGA, calling the replacement scheme a backdoor for contractors. He warned that the state is ready to approach the Supreme Court to protect rural workers' rights.