Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Saturday indicated that he was willing to await the outcome of discussions between the Congress leadership and Chief Minister DK Shivakumar over his resignation, saying he was disappointed by assurances that had not been fulfilled but had never sought any particular portfolio.
Reddy announced his resignation on Friday after being allotted the Major and Medium Irrigation Department instead of the Bengaluru Development portfolio. He said CM Shivakumar and senior Congress leaders, including AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, were engaged in efforts to resolve the issue.
His remarks came after a late-night meeting involving Shivakumar and senior party leaders that continued into the early hours of Saturday, following which the chief minister said the crisis had been resolved.
"Surjewala has appealed to me to withdraw my resignation," Reddy told reporters on Saturday, while adding that the party leadership had conveyed to him that his resignation would not be accepted.
Reddy said he held detailed discussions with Shivakumar at a hotel on Friday and that further consultations were under way. "Yesterday, Shivakumar said he would come to my house, but I was not at home. Later, we met at a hotel. We discussed everything. Today as well, I have asked Surjewala about all the issues we discussed yesterday," he said.
"Now the chief minister and Surjewala will meet. They will discuss whatever we spoke about yesterday. Let us see what decision they take after that," he added.
After a nearly two-and-a-half-hour meeting with Reddy, Shivakumar said on Saturday that the crisis triggered by the senior Congress leader's resignation over portfolio allocation "has been resolved".
He made the remarks after emerging from marathon discussions with Reddy at a private hotel in Bengaluru's Jayanagar area late on Friday night, amid efforts by the Congress leadership to persuade the veteran leader to withdraw his resignation. The meeting continued into the wee hours of Saturday. Senior Congress leaders and some of Reddy's close associates also took part in the discussions.
"This is a family matter. We will all sit together and talk. Everything has been resolved," Shivakumar told reporters after emerging from the meeting around 1.30 am.
"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," Shivakumar said, expressing confidence that the government would move forward unitedly.
Meanwhile, when asked whether he had been offered any alternative, Reddy said he had already conveyed his views to the leadership. "When we spoke yesterday, I conveyed my views. I never went asking for anything. They made the offer themselves. Later, due to unavoidable reasons, things changed," he said.
Reiterating that he had never lobbied for a ministerial berth or a specific department, the veteran leader said, "I never asked for it. They themselves offered it. I did not ask. Not only now, but even in 1993, when I first became a minister, I never lobbied. I never approached any chief minister seeking a particular portfolio".
When asked whether he expected a positive outcome from the discussions between Shivakumar and Surjewala, Reddy replied, "I don't know. I will call and find out."
He also confirmed that both leaders had urged him not to persist with his resignation. "Both of them have clearly told me that they cannot accept my resignation. I have conveyed my opinion to them and returned," he said.
Reddy, however, declined to comment on reports that he could be accommodated with an additional portfolio alongside the Irrigation Department. "I do not want to speak about that," he said when repeatedly asked whether any alternative arrangement was under consideration.
Asked if he remained firm on his decision to resign, the minister avoided a direct answer and instead pointed to ongoing consultations among senior leaders.
"Siddaramaiah and the chief minister have met. Whatever we discussed with the chief minister yesterday will be conveyed. After that, they will make a decision," he said.
On whether he had lost patience over the developments, Reddy asserted that he remained calm despite the controversy.
"Even now, I have not lost patience. If I had lost patience, would I be speaking to you this calmly?" he asked.
Expressing confidence in the party leadership's ability to find a solution, Reddy answered in the affirmative when asked whether he believed senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah could resolve the issue.
"Yes. After they meet again, I will tell you. Let Surjewala and the chief minister complete their discussions first."
The resignation row has emerged as the first major challenge before the three-day-old Shivakumar government, with the Congress leadership making intensive efforts to persuade the veteran Bengaluru leader to remain in the Cabinet.
(With inputs from PTI)