Issue is settled: DK Shivakumar on Minister's resignation over portfolio snub
Just days into the new Karnataka government, a resignation threat over portfolio allocation triggered a political storm. After hours of behind-the-scenes negotiations, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar says the matter is now closed.
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday declared that the resignation crisis triggered by senior minister Ramalinga Reddy had been resolved, drawing a line under the first major challenge faced by his three-day-old government.
"Ramalinga Reddy is my friend. All problems have been sorted out. Don't make up stories. All those stories have become stale. The resignation issue is settled," Shivakumar told reporters.
The Chief Minister's remarks came hours after a marathon late-night meeting with Reddy, who had announced his resignation over dissatisfaction with the allocation of portfolios in the newly formed Congress government.
LATE-NIGHT TALKS DEFUSE CRISIS
Shivakumar met Reddy for nearly two-and-a-half hours at a private hotel on Friday night as the Congress leadership worked to persuade the veteran leader to reconsider his decision.
The discussions stretched past midnight and involved senior Congress leaders as well as some of Reddy's close associates.
Emerging from the meeting around 1.30 am on Saturday, Shivakumar projected confidence that the issue had been resolved.
"This is a family matter. We will all sit together and talk. Everything has been resolved," he said.
"He has expressed his grievance; it was a case of miscommunication. Something has happened, and we will sort it out. Don't worry, we will run everything first-class. We have given opportunities to all senior leaders, and we will set everything right."
The Chief Minister also pointed to his long relationship with Reddy.
"Ramalinga Reddy and I have been friends since 1980. At present, I am working as the chief minister; earlier, I was a minister, and he is a minister. We are all friends," he said.
WHAT TRIGGERED THE RESIGNATION?
The crisis erupted on Friday when Reddy resigned from the Major and Medium Irrigation portfolio, alleging that assurances given to him regarding the Bengaluru Development Department had not been honoured.
The eight-time legislator had publicly maintained that he was interested only in the Bengaluru Development portfolio.
After signing his resignation letter on camera, Reddy said he had been assured on two separate occasions that the department would be allotted to him.
According to Reddy, Shivakumar had earlier told him that once he became Chief Minister, he would relinquish the Bengaluru Development portfolio and hand it over to him. He also claimed the assurance was repeated a day before the swearing-in ceremony.
However, when the portfolios were allocated, the Bengaluru Development Department was assigned to senior Congress leader Krishna Byre Gowda, while Shivakumar retained the Finance portfolio.
The move left Reddy disappointed and triggered intense discussion within the government.
SHIVAKUMAR ADMITS PROMISE, SEEKS PEACE
Even before the late-night meeting, Shivakumar had acknowledged Reddy's concerns and signalled that efforts were underway to persuade him.
"Of course, I had promised him. We will speak to him and convince him. He is a very senior leader of the party," the Chief Minister said.
He also sought to downplay the disagreement.
"Ramalinga Reddy is my colleague. He is a senior leader. The concern he has is that it may not be possible for him to go to villages and carry out work extensively, and he would prefer to be given some other responsibility. That is his wish," Shivakumar said.
"There is nothing to worry about. He is a great friend. We are among the closest friends in the Cabinet. We will sort out the issue."
REDDY FALLS IN LINE
Following the late-night discussions, Reddy echoed the Chief Minister's position and signalled that the standoff had ended.
Asked whether he would withdraw his resignation if Shivakumar requested him to do so, the senior minister avoided elaborating on the matter.
"I am saying the same thing that he told you. Everything has been resolved. That's all," Reddy said.
PM MODI'S CALL
Shivakumar also revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated him after he assumed office.
"PM Narendra Modi wished me. I would like to thank him. I should meet him as a matter of courtesy. We don't want politics for the sake of politics. Let us all work together to do politics that benefits the people of the state," he said.
The resolution of the Reddy episode comes as a relief for the Congress leadership, which was facing its first internal challenge just days after Shivakumar took oath as Chief Minister. With the immediate crisis defused, the government is seeking to project unity as it settles into office.
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday declared that the resignation crisis triggered by senior minister Ramalinga Reddy had been resolved, drawing a line under the first major challenge faced by his three-day-old government.
"Ramalinga Reddy is my friend. All problems have been sorted out. Don't make up stories. All those stories have become stale. The resignation issue is settled," Shivakumar told reporters.
The Chief Minister's remarks came hours after a marathon late-night meeting with Reddy, who had announced his resignation over dissatisfaction with the allocation of portfolios in the newly formed Congress government.
LATE-NIGHT TALKS DEFUSE CRISIS
Shivakumar met Reddy for nearly two-and-a-half hours at a private hotel on Friday night as the Congress leadership worked to persuade the veteran leader to reconsider his decision.
The discussions stretched past midnight and involved senior Congress leaders as well as some of Reddy's close associates.
Emerging from the meeting around 1.30 am on Saturday, Shivakumar projected confidence that the issue had been resolved.
"This is a family matter. We will all sit together and talk. Everything has been resolved," he said.
"He has expressed his grievance; it was a case of miscommunication. Something has happened, and we will sort it out. Don't worry, we will run everything first-class. We have given opportunities to all senior leaders, and we will set everything right."
The Chief Minister also pointed to his long relationship with Reddy.
"Ramalinga Reddy and I have been friends since 1980. At present, I am working as the chief minister; earlier, I was a minister, and he is a minister. We are all friends," he said.
WHAT TRIGGERED THE RESIGNATION?
The crisis erupted on Friday when Reddy resigned from the Major and Medium Irrigation portfolio, alleging that assurances given to him regarding the Bengaluru Development Department had not been honoured.
The eight-time legislator had publicly maintained that he was interested only in the Bengaluru Development portfolio.
After signing his resignation letter on camera, Reddy said he had been assured on two separate occasions that the department would be allotted to him.
According to Reddy, Shivakumar had earlier told him that once he became Chief Minister, he would relinquish the Bengaluru Development portfolio and hand it over to him. He also claimed the assurance was repeated a day before the swearing-in ceremony.
However, when the portfolios were allocated, the Bengaluru Development Department was assigned to senior Congress leader Krishna Byre Gowda, while Shivakumar retained the Finance portfolio.
The move left Reddy disappointed and triggered intense discussion within the government.
SHIVAKUMAR ADMITS PROMISE, SEEKS PEACE
Even before the late-night meeting, Shivakumar had acknowledged Reddy's concerns and signalled that efforts were underway to persuade him.
"Of course, I had promised him. We will speak to him and convince him. He is a very senior leader of the party," the Chief Minister said.
He also sought to downplay the disagreement.
"Ramalinga Reddy is my colleague. He is a senior leader. The concern he has is that it may not be possible for him to go to villages and carry out work extensively, and he would prefer to be given some other responsibility. That is his wish," Shivakumar said.
"There is nothing to worry about. He is a great friend. We are among the closest friends in the Cabinet. We will sort out the issue."
REDDY FALLS IN LINE
Following the late-night discussions, Reddy echoed the Chief Minister's position and signalled that the standoff had ended.
Asked whether he would withdraw his resignation if Shivakumar requested him to do so, the senior minister avoided elaborating on the matter.
"I am saying the same thing that he told you. Everything has been resolved. That's all," Reddy said.
PM MODI'S CALL
Shivakumar also revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated him after he assumed office.
"PM Narendra Modi wished me. I would like to thank him. I should meet him as a matter of courtesy. We don't want politics for the sake of politics. Let us all work together to do politics that benefits the people of the state," he said.
The resolution of the Reddy episode comes as a relief for the Congress leadership, which was facing its first internal challenge just days after Shivakumar took oath as Chief Minister. With the immediate crisis defused, the government is seeking to project unity as it settles into office.
