Bengaluru: The Karnataka Congress faced fresh turmoil on Monday after two of its legislators resigned from the Legislative Assembly, expressing disappointment over being left out of the state Cabinet expansion.
Indi MLA Yashavantarayagouda V Patil and Sagar MLA Belur Gopalakrishna submitted their resignations ahead of the swearing-in ceremony for the newly inducted ministers, adding to the growing unease within the ruling party.
Patil alleges promise of ministerial berth was broken
Patil handed over his resignation to Deputy Speaker Rudrappa Lamani at the Vidhana Soudha. Soon after, his supporters staged a protest in Bengaluru, claiming he had been treated unfairly by the party leadership.
Speaking to reporters, Patil said his name had remained on the list of prospective ministers until Monday morning and that he had even received an intimation before it was removed from the final list.
He alleged that the Congress leadership had failed to honour its promise of a ministerial post. According to Patil, he had been assured a Cabinet berth before the 2023 Assembly elections and was later told he would be accommodated after two-and-a-half years.
Stating that he was not resigning merely for a position, Patil said the decision was a matter of self-respect and loyalty. He added that he would consult his supporters before deciding his next course of action but clarified that he was not leaving the Congress party.
Cabinet expansion triggers discontent
Belur Gopalakrishna also resigned from the Assembly, further intensifying pressure on the Congress leadership ahead of the Cabinet expansion.
The Congress government inducted 20 ministers into the state Cabinet during a swearing-in ceremony held at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru. The expansion came about two months after D K Shivakumar assumed office as Chief Minister.
The resignations are expected to deepen dissatisfaction within the party, with several legislators reportedly unhappy over being denied ministerial positions.