- BJP leader Tejasvi Surya criticized a possible Bengaluru Metro fare hike citing high current prices
- Surya claimed Bengaluru Metro fares are nearly double those of Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai metros
- Congress rebutted, stating fares are decided by a Centre-appointed committee, not the Karnataka government
Even as the citizens of Bengaluru are staring at another possible Metro fare hike, the BJP and Congress have begun a blame game over the issue.
Bengaluru South MP and BJP leader Tejasvi Surya has attacked the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and the Karnataka government over a possible Metro fare hike from next month, citing the Fare Fixation Committee recommendations that allow for an annual 5% increase in fares.
Bengaluru Metro has become the costliest in the country, thanks to the state government's negligence in correcting mistakes caused by anomalies in fare fixation.
— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) January 17, 2026
As a result, Bengaluru metro travel now costs nearly twice as much as in Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai, leading to a... pic.twitter.com/xQqam0hRWU
Surya said Metro ticket prices are already "very high" and argued that commuters should not be burdened again.
In a sharp post, he alleged that Bengaluru Metro has become the costliest in the country due to "anomalies in fare fixation", claiming fares are nearly twice those in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, and that this has reduced ridership.
He also claimed BMRCL and the state are looking to hike fares in February to offset operations and maintenance losses, which he linked to project cost escalations caused by delays.
Surya urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar to form a new Fare Fixation Committee, revise the fare structure, and ensure transparency, warning that public protests could ensue if fares rise.
The Congress hit back on X, calling Surya's remarks "BJP lies and propaganda." It argued that Bengaluru Metro fares are not decided by the Karnataka government, but by a Centre-appointed Fare Fixation Committee, and approved by a Union government-chaired board. The party said that the state has no legal authority to stop fare decisions taken under this mechanism.
The Congress also pointed out that the BMRCL is a joint venture and not run by the state government alone.
