'No to Civic Works, Yes to Fare Hike’: Bengaluru MP Tejasvi Surya slams state government

Bengaluru South MP criticises Congress government over priorities after BMRCL confirms 5% ticket price increase

The increase in Bengaluru metro ticket prices has triggered sharp political reactions, with Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya openly condemning the decision and attacking the state government over what he called misplaced priorities.

Reacting strongly to the fare hike, Tejasvi Surya accused the Congress-led state government of saying “no” to development works while approving higher metro ticket prices without hesitation. In a social media post, he questioned why citizens are being burdened when basic urban problems remain unresolved.

Also Read:After metro fare hike, Bengaluru braces for annual Cauvery water price increase

Listing multiple civic failures, the MP said the government has not implemented the suburban rail project, failed to fix potholes, not cleaned garbage properly, not conducted local body elections, and not completed metro construction on time. “Despite all this, they are quick to increase metro ticket fares,” he remarked, taking a sarcastic swipe at the administration.

Decision making priorities of Congress Govt in Karnataka:

Fast-track suburban rail - Nope
Fix potholes - Nope
Clean up garbage black-spots - Nope
Roll back guarantee schemes - Nope
Conduct local body elections - Nope
Complete delayed metro Projects - Nope

ಮತ್ತೆ ಇನ್ನು ಏನು?… pic.twitter.com/S6HBdYhgR7

— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) February 5, 2026

Meanwhile, the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has officially confirmed a 5% fare increase across the entire metro network, effective February 9, 2026. The hike follows the annual fare revision mechanism recommended by the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC).

BMRCL stated that the revision is being carried out under the Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002, based on the recommendations of the first Fare Fixation Committee formed for the Bengaluru Metro. This move introduces an automatic yearly fare revision system, aimed at preventing sudden and steep hikes in the future.

While BMRCL maintains that the increase is part of a structured policy framework, the fare hike has become a political flashpoint, with opposition leaders arguing that commuters are paying the price for governance failures.