Bengaluru: From a resounding win over BJP strongman B Sriramulu in the 2023 assembly polls to two ministerial exits tied to the same Rs 90-crore Karnataka Maharishi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation scam, B Nagendra’s political journey over the past three years has been tumultuous.Under chief minister Siddaramaiah, the Ballari Rural MLA enjoyed a 13-month innings holding the ST welfare and youth and sports development portfolios. His second stint, under Shivakumar, barely spanned three weeks before he was forced to quit.Congress re-inducted him into the cabinet after the state-appointed special investigation team (SIT) discharged him in the case in late 2024. He was expected to return to the Siddaramaiah cabinet itself, but internal wrangling in the party delayed his comeback. This time, Congress appears to have buckled in the face of mounting pressure from CBI and ED investigations.Congress sources say Nagendra’s return was always a gamble. He was handed the relatively low-profile planning and statistics portfolio this time, a clear sign of caution within the party.“When names were being finalised, we knew Nagendra would be under scrutiny,” a senior member said. “But nobody in the high command or the party anticipated that it would become such a big issue.”Attention now shifts to BJP, which had made his exit its single-point agenda through the entire eight-day, truncated monsoon session of the legislature. “He should have been asked to resign before the monsoon session. We unnecessarily have handed BJP and JD(S) credit,’’ said another functionary.However, Congress could still turn to Nagendra to shore up support in ST-reserved constituencies ahead of the 2028 elections, using his political base in the community rather than sidelining him altogether. He may be offered an important position in the party, besides making him head of a board or corporation.Rather than fade quietly, Nagendra used his exit news conference Friday to signal intent, urging party brass to give him a chance to clear his name in the court of public opinion, and hinting at a more active role in organisational work in the days ahead.
