A day after Aland Congress MLA B R Patil BR Patil resigned from his position as political adviser to chief minister Siddaramaiah, the leader on Sunday alleged that, like other MLAs, he was not receiving grants due to the pre-poll guarantee schemes.
On Saturday, Patil resigned from the post citing dissatisfaction with both government decisions and his role within the administration. Patil’s resignation, which was submitted to the chief Minister’s office in Bengaluru on Friday, comes after months of tension and public displays of discontent.
Patil, who was appointed to the advisory role in December 2024, announced that he submitted his resignation on Friday. “I resigned the day before yesterday (Friday). I have written a detailed letter to the chief minister. I will speak with him if he calls me,” Patil said.
Although he did not disclose specifics, he emphasised that the reasons behind his resignation were complex. “There are several reasons, but I cannot reveal them publicly,” he added. He also made it clear that his decision was final, stating, “I won’t withdraw my resignation.”
He said he had written letters to Siddaramaiah twice. “But he too is under pressure due to the Muda scam and state budget preparation but I told him that I will be with him like an intimate friend till the end,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}He said he had written letters to Siddaramaiah twice. “But he too is under pressure due to the Muda scam and state budget preparation but I told him that I will be with him like an intimate friend till the end,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}According to senior leaders familiar with the matter, the leader was frustrated with both the Siddaramaiah government’s policy decisions and the lack of funds allocated to his constituency. Patil had previously expressed displeasure over not being included in the cabinet, despite having been a prominent figure in the party since entering the Legislative assembly alongside Siddaramaiah in 1983. This disappointment over being sidelined was compounded by the lack of resources for his district.
“Patil felt undermined by his position under RDPR and IT/BT minister Priyank Kharge. Patil reportedly found it difficult to serve under someone younger and less experienced than him,” said a senior leader, who didn’t want to be named.
In recent months, he had criticised the government for not allocating enough funds to Aland, and even staged a protest outside the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Bengaluru, demanding the implementation of minimum support prices for farmers. The protest was staged in solidarity with Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a farmer’s leader who was fasting near the Punjab-New Delhi border.
The resignation of Patil follows a broader trend of dissatisfaction within the Congress. In December, Patil and two other senior leaders - RV Deshpande and Basavaraj Rayareddi - were appointed as advisers with cabinet ranks after being excluded from the cabinet reshuffle. Both Patil and Rayareddi had publicly aired their grievances, with the former criticising the government’s treatment of senior MLAs.
One of the key issues behind Patil’s resignation was the denial of ₹200 crore for the construction of check dams in Aland, a request he had made to the chief minister’s office. Patil felt that his pleas had been ignored, leading to his decision to step down.
On whether grants were the primary reason, he clarified that, along with grants, there were other issues as well.”Due to the guarantees, we are not getting grants. I am not the only one affected — many other MLAs across the state are also deprived of funds,” he said.
While Siddaramaiah acknowledged receiving Patil’s resignation letter, he expressed that he had not yet reviewed it. “The letter has reached my Bengaluru office. I haven’t read it. I’ll speak to Patil,” he said. He also downplayed any tension between them, saying, “There’s no rift between us.”
“There is nothing special about my resignation. I had decided to resign long ago. I was waiting for Damocles’ sword of disqualification concerning the office of profit issue to be cleared. Once it was, I resigned,” he said.
He emphasised that he would not contest elections in the future, expressing gratitude for having served as an MLA four times and as an MLC twice.
Meanwhile, leader of opposition R Ashoka predicted that a leadership change in the state could happen soon. Speaking at Freedom Park, he said: “A game of musical chairs will begin in November. Someone else is ready to take over Siddaramaiah’s position. Those eager for power might even blow the ‘whistle’ themselves.” He also predicted that, by mid-November, DK Shivakumar might force Siddaramaiah to step down if he does not do so willingly.
With PTI inputs