Karnataka minister Shivanand Patil quits
Karnataka Minister Shivanand Patil quits on Friday submitted his resignation as MLA from Basavana Bagevadi segment to Legislative Assembly Speaker UT Khader.
He said he was resigning as MLA after accepting the challenge thrown at him by Vijayapura City MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal to contest against him electorally, news agency PTI reported. The Speaker is yet to decide on the resignation.
The Congress leader holds Textiles, Sugarcane Development and Agricultural Marketing portfolios. However, he has made a special request to the Speaker.
What is the twist?
According to the report, Shivanand Patil has requested the Speaker to accept his resignation only if Yatnal too quits and his resignation is accepted.
In his resignation letter, Patil said Yatnal had challenged him, stating that he would resign as MLA from his Vijayapura City assembly constituency and would contest against him from his Basavana Bagevadi segment.
“I have accepted his challenge and have decided to contest against him in the election. Hence, I’m resigning as MLA from Basavana Bagevadi, which I’m representing,” the PTI report quoted him as saying.
“Hence, I request you (Speaker) to accept my resignation only after Basangouda Patil Yatnal, as challenged, resigns from his MLA post and his resignation is accepted,” he added.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Patil said Yatnal had set the Friday deadline for him to resign, and he had resigned before that, accepting the challenge, PTI said.
“I have accepted the challenge and resigned. I only request him (Yatnal) that – you asked me to contest against you. You too resign as MLA from Vijayapura city, as I have. If you want me to contest from there (Vijayapura city) I will contest from there or if you want to contest from Basavana Bagevadi, I am ready for it,” he said.
“Let this end here. Either I or he should survive politically. The people of Vijapura or Basavana Bagevadi will decide. So I have resigned. I have requested the Speaker to accept my resignation an hour before Yatnal resigns. Let my resignation be accepted before him. Let’s face the people and let the people decide,” he added.
Patil said this decision of his was purely personal, and had nothing to do with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah or the Congress party.
“I have no pain about losing a minister post. When I quit as MLA, naturally I will have to quit as minister too,” he added.
Yatnal had won from Vijayapura city segment in 2023 Assembly polls as a BJP candidate. He was recently expelled by BJP from the primary membership of the party for six years, for repeated violations of the party discipline.
What Speaker UT Khader said
Speaker Khader said Patil’s resignation will be examined, and a decision will be taken in accordance with the Constitution and rules.
“He (Patil) had resigned, stating that it was a question of his dignity, as a challenge was thrown at him. Let’s see what happens,” he told PTI.
To a question that the format of resignation was not as per rules, the Speaker said it will be examined.