Ramalinga Reddy resigns from Ministry, says he is ‘humiliated’

After being denied the Bengaluru Development portfolio, senior Congress legislator from Bengaluru Ramalinga Reddy, who has been allocated Water Resources, sent his resignation letter to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.

On Friday, in a dramatic turn of events, he signed the resignation letter in the presence of the media and displayed it. Stating that he will not personally submit his resignation that has been addressed to the Chief Minister, Mr. Reddy said he would send it through an official.

“I am unhappy and cannot work against my conscience. Hence, I am resigning. I will remain in the Congress and work as a legislator,” he said, pointing out a promise made by Mr. Shivakumar to give him the Bengaluru Development portfolio.

Brewing discontent

Discontent was brewing since Wednesday night as speculation was rife that the Bengaluru Development portfolio would go to Krishna Byre Gowda, and Mr. Reddy had also met the Chief Minister on Thursday. His resignation seems to have come after he was told that the decision on portfolios came from the central leadership that could not be changed.

The eight-time legislator, who is known to wield significant influence on voters in East and North Bengaluru, is being seen as an important figure ahead of the elections to five corporations in the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) region.

Mr. Reddy told presspersons, “I have not lobbied for a ministerial position with Mr. Shivakumar, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah or the high command. I am happy they took me into the Cabinet. Mr. Shivakumar had promised to give me Bengaluru Development. I had not asked for it. The portfolio has been denied to me twice.”

Mr. Reddy served as Transport Minister in the Siddaramaiah-led government in this term. Over decades, he has worked in governments headed by M. Veerappa Moily, S.M. Krishna, N. Dharam Singh, and Mr. Siddaramaiah.

Supporters of Mr. Reddy staged protests in BTM Layout, his constituency, expressing solidarity with the leader.

‘This is humiliation’

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Reddy said, “This is humiliation. I have served as a corporator in Bengaluru and have been elected MLA continuously. I was promised the Bengaluru Development portfolio earlier. How long can I tolerate this? What other option did I have?”

He said he did not want to blame anyone, but a promise should have been kept. “I harbour no anger against Mr. Shivakumar, Mr. Siddaramaiah or the party high command led by Mallikarjun Kharge,” he added.

Wake-up call, says Patil

Former Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil, who was not inducted into the Cabinet on Wednesday, said on X that the resignation of Ramalinga Reddy was a “wake up call.’ He wrote, “I request my friend Ramalinga Reddy again to reconsider his stand in the larger interest of the party. His resignation is a massive wake up call. I urge the relevant leaders to bestow their serious attention to resolve this matter justly.”