Karnataka minister M. B. Patil blames Gadkari for ‘ethanol blending crisis’

Karnataka’s Industries Minister M. B. Patil blamed Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari for what he called an “ethanol blending crisis”, The Hindu reported on 10 November.

“They [the Centre] refuses to believe me when I speak the truth about ethanol blending,” Mr. Patil said, according to the paper. He said the Centre could check with leaders of the sugar industry, naming Murugesh Nirani and Prabhakar Kore.

Mr. Nirani, a former BJP minister in Karnataka, and Mr. Kore, a former BJP Rajya Sabha member, both run large sugar businesses in the State.

The background

Ethanol made from sugarcane and grain is mixed with petrol under the Centre’s blending programme, which reached 20% blending in 2025. Mr. Gadkari has been one of its leading supporters. Karnataka is one of India’s largest sugarcane growers, and many of its sugar mills also make ethanol, so the rules and prices set by the Centre matter to the State’s mills and cane farmers.

The report did not set out in detail what Mr. Patil meant by the crisis. Mr. Gadkari’s response was not available when this story was published.