Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has accepted the resignation of Congress MLA B Nagendra as minister, following a recommendation from Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, according to an official notification.
The notification, dated August 29, was released to the media on Sunday. Gehlot said he had accepted the Chief Minister’s recommendation and, under Article 164(1) of the Constitution, accepted Nagendra’s resignation from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect.
Nagendra had announced his resignation on Friday, barely 25 days after he was inducted into the Shivakumar-led Cabinet during its recent expansion. He had been given the Planning and Statistics portfolio.
Nagendra had faced sustained Opposition attacks over his alleged involvement in the Rs 89-crore Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation scam.
He had denied any role in the alleged irregularities, saying he had resigned voluntarily to prevent embarrassment to the Congress and the state government.
The BJP-JD(S) Opposition combine had stepped up its protests against Nagendra and the Congress government, including disrupting the monsoon session of the state legislature. The session was subsequently curtailed by three days.
Nagendra formally submitted his resignation to Shivakumar, who had said he would consult the Congress high command before taking a decision.
The CBI’s request to the Governor for sanction to prosecute Nagendra is also believed to have weighed on the decision. Gehlot had reportedly communicated the central agency’s plea to the state government.
The BJP has announced a 10-day padayatra from Raichur to Ballari beginning September 1, during which it plans to target the Congress government over alleged failures and raise the Nagendra issue.
Nagendra had earlier resigned from the Siddaramaiah Cabinet in June 2024 following allegations of financial irregularities in the Valmiki corporation. He was re-inducted into the Shivakumar-led ministry on August 3.
He had previously served as Minister for Scheduled Tribes Welfare, Youth Empowerment and Sports in the Siddaramaiah government.
The Enforcement Directorate arrested Nagendra in July 2024 in connection with the alleged scam. A special court in Bengaluru granted him bail in October that year. He has since been named as an accused in chargesheets filed by both the ED and the CBI in the case.
(With inputs from PTI)