Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday issued a stern warning to disgruntled Congress MLAs who threatened to resign after being left out of the recent cabinet expansion, stating that the party holds the highest importance and that if any legislator chooses to resign, it would be accepted within minutes.
With the long-awaited cabinet expansion finally materialising, it caused disgruntlement among the ruling Congress legislators, with a couple of ministerial aspirants who did not get a berth offering to resign. In fact, the MLA from Indi, Yashavantarayagouda V Patil, submitted his resignation from his legislative post on Monday. Supporters of several ministerial aspirants have staged protests in different parts of the state. The sanctioned strength of Karnataka's ministry is 34, including the CM. Following Monday's expansion, it now has one vacant berth.
'Resign, I'll accept it within minutes': Shivakumar
"I have said whatever I have to resignations keep happening in politics. No one can stop those resigning. If they want the party and their future, the party is important. If there is a party, there is everything else," Shivakumar said in response to a question about MLAs threatening to resign.
Speaking to reporters, he said, "I too could have resigned as I was not made minister during the CM tenures of Dharam Singh and Siddaramaiah. Didn't both Parameshwara (Deputy CM) and I remain patient? When Veerendra Patil was CM, Bangarappa, Kharge (AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge) and Dharam Singh were not made Ministers. Didn't Bangarappa and Singh become CMs later? One needs to have patience."
Asserting that the party is more important, the CM said, "If anyone gives resignation, within a few minutes I'm going to accept."
Karnataka Cabinet expansion
The cabinet expansion in Karnataka took place on Monday, with 19 ministers taking the oath as ministers, as the Congress leadership tries to maintain a balance between loyalists of Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and veteran leader Siddaramaiah. The oath was administered to the 19 ministers by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at the Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru. The expansion happened nearly two months after Shivakumar's swearing-in as the chief minister.
Shivakumar took the oath as the chief minister, along with 13 ministers, on June 3, after Siddaramaiah resigned from the position on May 28. The cabinet expansion is seen as crucial for the Congress in Karnataka as it seeks to maintain a delicate balance between the camps of Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, especially after the latter recently announced that he will not contest the next Karnataka assembly elections, which will be held in 2028.
(With PTI inputs)
Also Read
Tensions in Karnataka Congress over Cabinet expansion, 2 MLAs offer resignation; CM looks to pacify
Karnataka Cabinet Expansion: 19 Congress leaders sworn in as ministers | As it happened
