After marathon talks, Congress convinces Ramalinga Reddy to stay in the Karnataka Cabinet

The Congress seems to have spiked the discontent among its Cabinet Ministers at least for now. A day after senior Minister Ramalinga Reddy sent his resignation letter to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, he was mollified by the party leaders to take it back. The other senior Minister, K.H. Muniyappa, who was unhappy with the Food and Civil Supplies Department portfolio allocated to him, has also been convinced to take charge.

The eight-time legislator, miffed over denial of the Bengaluru Development portfolio, on Saturday evening told The Hindu that he had withdrawn his resignation after the meeting with Central leaders and the Chief Minister. Mr. Reddy has been allocated the Water Resources Department portfolio. Party Central leadership, it is learnt, did not want to change portfolios to send out a tough message against discontent.

The development came after a series of meetings involving Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Congress general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, and KPCC president B.K. Hariprasad.

“Mr. Reddy’s experience and knowledge is important. He is an asset for the party. He met with me with certain doubts in his mind. He has taken back his resignation. In the future too, he will work as a Minister and the party’s loyal soldier,” Mr. Surjewala told presspersons.

“Mr. Reddy and Mr. Hariprasad have worked in the National Students’ Union of India since 1973. Several Congress leaders were not even born then.”

Mr. Reddy said the party leadership had promised him that the concerns raised by him would be addressed at an appropriate time and made it clear that they wanted him to remain in the Cabinet.

“After the meetings, all the leaders gave me hope. The Chief Minister called me three times and met me on Friday night. Mr. Surjewala met and spoke to me. They all said they wanted me to continue as a part of the Cabinet and that there was no question of accepting my resignation,” Mr. Reddy said.

“They have rejected my resignation and I will respect the party’s decision. They asked me to continue in the Cabinet and I will do so,” Mr. Reddy said.

Late on Friday night, Mr. Shivakumar held a nearly two-and-a-half-hour meeting with Mr. Reddy at a private hotel in Jayanagar as part of efforts to resolve the issue. The discussions continued till the early hours of Saturday.

Further rounds of talks were held on the same day with Mr. Surjewala and Mr. Hariprasad, following which the Congress leadership decided to reject Mr. Reddy’s resignation, ending uncertainty over his future in the Cabinet.

Via WhatsApp

Earlier in the day, Mr. Shivakumar told the press that Mr. Reddy had sent his resignation to him via WhatsApp, and that efforts were on to convince Mr. Reddy. “He is a friend. We will sort out of the matter. It has been resolved,” he said.