I prefer a Rs 50 haircut, says Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar, BJP cites Rs 1,400-crore wealth

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said he goes for a Rs 50 haircut and prefers to lead a simple life. He made the remarks while speaking at the India Today Roundtable Karnataka, his first interview since taking charge as chief minister. The BJP levelled hypocrisy allegations, citing his assets worth Rs 1,400 crore.Chief Minister of Karnataka DK Shivakumar's interview at the India Today Roundtable Karnataka. (Image: India Today Group)A chief minister who declared assets worth around Rs 1,400 crore in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly election says he still prefers a Rs 50 haircut. Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar made the remark during his first interview after taking charge as CM, at the India Today Roundtable Karnataka on Wednesday. Though DKS, as the CM is popularly called, spoke about the Rs 50 haircut to showcase his simple lifestyle, the BJP highlighted his Rs 1,400-crore assets to level allegations of hypocrisy.The conversation about the Rs 50 haircut began with an anecdote shared by India Today TV's Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai, who recalled visiting Shivakumar in New Delhi after he became Karnataka Chief Minister in June.Sardesai said Shivakumar had wanted to get a haircut from his favourite barber in the colony where he lived in New Delhi. But the security guard intervened, telling him that as Chief Minister, he could no longer simply walk into a public place for a haircut.The solution proposed by security personnel was simple: bring the barber home. Sardesai said that "the chief minister refused, and he wanted to go to the barber himself". Sardesai later asked whether the Chief Minister still had the same haircut or had upgraded to a "VVIP haircut" at the official residence. Shivakumar's answer triggered laughter in the room."No, I paid him only Rs 50 for the hair cut in Delhi," he replied to Sardesai, who was interviewing him at the India Today Roundtable Karnataka event. Sardesai then joked that if the Chief Minister was paying Rs 50 for a haircut, he should at least make sure he got a "five-star haircut" now that he was heading a state as the chief minister.But Shivakumar's response was less about the haircut and more about how he views his lifestyle."I believe in simple living," he said, arguing that the expensive things associated with him are not necessarily products he seeks out himself.He pointed to the gifts he received from friends, including a Louis Vuitton muffler that had everyone, including people in the political corridors, talking."Lot of my friends visit me and give me expensive items like a Louis Vuitton muffler that is not in my hands. I want a simple life," Shivakumar said."How much can you eat? Living life in a simple way is a basic courtesy," the CM of Karnataka added, explaining his philosophy.HOW MUCH IS SHIVAKUMAR'S DECLARED WEALTH VALUED AT?The Rs 50 haircut remark, however, lands against the backdrop of Shivakumar's substantial declared wealth.According to his 2023 Karnataka Assembly election affidavit, Shivakumar and his dependents declared total assets of Rs 1,413.78 crore. MyNeta, which compiles election-affidavit data, puts the total at Rs 1,413.80 crore, comprising around Rs 273.42 crore in movable assets and Rs 1,140.38 crore in immovable assets.The contrast of Shivakumar's "simple" haircut cost and his net worth did not escape from the vision of his political opponents.The BJP's Karnataka unit took a swipe at Shivakumar on X, juxtaposing his Rs 50 haircut remark with references to luxury items associated with him."Rs 50 haircut = simple living. Rolex Daytona + LV scarf + Cartier watch = also simple living apparently," Karnataka BJP wrote in its X post reacting to India Today's interview with the CM."Hypocrisy pro max," the state unit of BJP's post added. The BJP also shared images of news reports that cited the luxury materials owned by the chief minister and his Rs 1,400 wealth.- EndsPublished By: Avinash KateelPublished On: Aug 26, 2026 16:58 IST