Karnataka Cabinet Expansion: Shivakumar Says He'll Accept Resignations 'Within Minutes' Amid Dissent

Bengaluru: The political fallout from Karnataka's cabinet expansion has intensified, with several senior Congress leaders expressing strong resentment after being denied ministerial berths. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, however, remains unfazed, asserting that he would accept any resignation "within a few minutes" and that he would personally speak to each MLA to address their concerns.

Speaking to reporters after the swearing-in ceremony of 20 new ministers on Monday, Shivakumar said he has instructed the newly inducted ministers to immediately begin visiting drought-affected areas across the state. "I have instructed all the ministers that they should immediately begin visiting all drought-affected areas from tomorrow itself. Don't waste time. From tomorrow itself, you should visit all the districts," he said, adding that officers have been told to make arrangements for the site visits.

The expansion, which took place two months after Shivakumar assumed office, brings the cabinet to its full strength. Among those sworn in were PM Narendraswamy, Shivaraj Tangadagi, Rudrappa Lamani, KS Basavanthappa, B Nagendra, T Raghumoorthy, B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, Rizwan Arshad, Santosh Lad, Madhu Bangarappa, Putturangashetty, SS Mallikarjun, Dr Ajay Singh, N Chaluvaraya Swamy, KM Shivalinge Gowda, HC Balakrishna, Gayathri Shanthegowda, Basavaraj Rayareddi, Vijayanand Kashappanavar and Laxman Savadi.

To those who did not make the cut, the Chief Minister advised patience, citing his own political journey. "Look, those who are resigning are all doing politics. No one can stop people who want to resign. They need a party, and they also need a future, that is with the party. If there is a party, this is it. I could have resigned during Dharam Singh's time, or at different times, or during Siddaramaiah's time when all my ministers were sidelining me. Was I not patient, even with G Parameshwara," Shivakumar said.

He also referenced historical examples to underscore his point. "During Virendra Patil's time it was not given to Bangarappa, it was not given to Kharge Saheb, it was not given to Dharam Singh. Didn't all of them eventually become Chief Ministers?" he asked. However, it is to be noted that Mallikarjun Kharge, the current Congress president, never became chief minister.

"In such situations, everyone has to be patient. The party is very important. If someone resigns, I will accept it within a few minutes," Shivakumar said, adding that he is revamping all Boards and Corporations. "Now, everyone should submit their resignations. After that, I will first induct our workers into the Boards and Corporations. Once all the workers are accommodated, I will call the MLAs and speak to each one individually."

In a bid to contain the discontent, the Chief Minister has tasked senior leaders with reaching out to aggrieved MLAs. Ministers N Cheluvarayaswamy and HC Balakrishna were assigned the responsibility of convincing M Krishnappa. The two ministers visited his residence early Tuesday morning, but the effort proved unsuccessful. Krishnappa was unavailable, forcing the ministers to return without meeting him, highlighting the deepening dissatisfaction within the Congress ranks.

Meanwhile, a group of party office-bearers from the Vijayanagar Assembly constituency submitted a collective resignation, protesting the denial of a cabinet berth to senior leader and MLA M Krishnappa. In a resignation letter addressed to Karnataka Congress chief BK Hariprasad, dated August 4, the leaders alleged that an injustice had been done to Krishnappa. The letter states that all Block Congress presidents, ward presidents, women's wing presidents, SC/ST and Minority wing presidents, divisional presidents, Youth Congress presidents, Guarantee Scheme committee presidents, and office-bearers of various party units from the Vijayanagar constituency have decided to resign collectively in protest.

The developments signal potential turbulence within the Karnataka Congress, even as the Chief Minister seeks to project unity and focus on governance. It remains to be seen how the party leadership addresses the grievances of the dissenting MLAs and their supporters.