"Will Sort It Out": DK Shivakumar After "Closest Of Friend" Quits As Minister

On Wednesday he took oath as minister along with the new chief minister. On Friday, he has sent his resignation. In a major embarrassment for the new DK Shivakumar government in Karnataka, Minister Ramalinga Reddy has resigned from the Cabinet just two days after taking oath. Reddy is upset over the allocation of portfolio.

Confirming his resignation, Reddy claimed that he was promised the Bengaluru Development portfolio by DK Shivakumar himself, but was later allocated Irrigation portfolio, which is not acceptable to him.

"DK Shivakumar came to my house before taking over as the chief minister. He told me that I will be given Bengaluru portfolio. I had not asked the chief minister for any portfolio, he offered this on his own and I said okay," Reddy stated.

He added that he was promised the portfolio twice by the chef minister, but later was allocated Irrigation ministry, which was unacceptable to him.

"Hence I'm resigning from the minister's post,' Reddy said after shooting off his resignation letter.

Reacting to the resignation, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that Ramalinga Reddy is a senior leader and that he will sort out the issue with him. "Ramalinga Reddy is a senior leader and a close friend. We will sort it out," Shivakumar said.

Ramalinga Reddy further declared that he will not accept any ministry under DK Shivakumar even if he is offered one of his choice now.

"Even if they give me the Bengaluru portfolio now, I won't accept it. I will work as an MLA and will be with Congress," Reddy said.

On Thursday night, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar allocated portfolios to his 13 ministers.

Sources said Reddy had been adamant on the Bengaluru Development portfolio, which he was denied.

Reddy is learnt to have walked out of the meeting held on Thursday to decide portfolios.

In the meeting, the minister reminded the chief minister of the promise made in 2023 that he would be given the Bengaluru Development portfolio whenever there was a Cabinet reshuffle.

Attacking the Congress government over the resignation, the BJP said that there are division within the Congress. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, speaking to NDTV, said, "There will be more dissensions within the government. Changing chief minister will not help the Congress".

The Congress, meanwhile, tried to downplay the issue, with Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge saying that Reddy is an "important leader both for the party and the state". 

Ramalinga Reddy is a prominent face for the party in Bengaluru. The 73-year-old is an eight-time MLA from the BTM Layout constituency. Previously he has served as Minister of Transport, Muzrai, and Minister of Home Affairs in the Karnataka government.