BENGALURU: Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy, who resigned as MLA on Monday, is open to the idea of negotiation. He said that if he is summoned by party leaders, he would go and meet them.
Reddy, who had been sulking, told TNIE that he had got a call from AICC Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday, and had clarified his position. He said, ‘’Many people are insinuating that I instigated these MLAs — ST Somashekar, Byrathi Basavaraj and Munirathna — to resign, but it is untrue.” He said that they came to speak to him, and he got carried away and joined them. He also claimed that he had not resigned from the party. Reddy’s resignation is spoken of as the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
Sources said the meltdown of the government began with a tussle between Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) Chairman Byrathi Basavaraj and Industries Minister K J George, regarding the transfer of an official of the KSDL. Byrathi and George had a heated argument over the issue and abused each other. The next day, Somashekar, Byrathi and Munirathna who are Siddaramaiah loyalists, sought his help, but Siddaramaiah stood by George.
Stung by their leader, they went to meet heavyweight Ramalinga Reddy, who was deeply upset and empathised with them. The four MLAs marched to the Speaker’s office and resigned the next day. This snowballed and threatened the government.
There was also talk that his daughter and MLA Sowmya Reddy would resign. But she said that she was not resigning. “I am here in my constituency, inaugurating an RO plant,” she said.