BENGALURU: Karnataka governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Sunday accepted the resignation of minister B Nagendra from the state council of ministers with immediate effect, days after the Ballari Rural MLA stepped down amid opposition pressure over the alleged Karnataka Maharishi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation scam.Nagendra, who held the planning and statistics portfolio, had tendered his resignation on Friday. The governor accepted it on the recommendation of chief minister DK Shivakumar.
Notification of acceptance
Nagendra had said he was voluntarily resigning as minister while denying the allegations against him.His resignation came after the BJP and JD(S) intensified their demand for his removal over the alleged diversion of funds from the Valmiki Corporation.
Nagendra’s second exit over the same case
Nagendra’s resignation marks his second exit from the Karnataka cabinet linked to the alleged scam.He had earlier resigned from the Siddaramaiah cabinet in 2024 after allegations surfaced in connection with the case.Congress later re-inducted him into the cabinet after the state-appointed special investigation team discharged him in the case in late 2024.He was re-inducted on August 3 this year and was given the relatively low-profile planning and statistics portfolio.His latest stint lasted less than a month before he resigned again amid renewed political pressure and ongoing CBI and ED investigations.
BJP calls resignation a victory
The BJP had made Nagendra’s resignation a key demand during its agitation over the alleged Valmiki Corporation fund diversion.Karnataka leader of opposition R Ashoka described the resignation as the Congress government‘s “first wicket”, while state BJP president BY Vijayendra said Nagendra was only a “small fry” and alleged that bigger players were involved.The BJP has demanded recovery of the funds and identification of those allegedly responsible for the wider conspiracy.Nagendra, meanwhile, has maintained that he is innocent and alleged that he was being targeted because he is a Dalit and Scheduled Caste leader.He has said he would travel across Karnataka, including the 15 Assembly constituencies reserved for Scheduled Tribes, to highlight what he described as injustice.With the governor now accepting his resignation, Nagendra has formally ceased to be a minister in the Karnataka government.
