Rahul Walks Into Mutiny As Shivakumar Cabinet Sees 1St Resignation, Upset Seniors Within 48 Hrs Of Oath

“I hadn’t even asked for it and he voluntarily gave (assurances) it to me. Later, they gave me water resources. Both times (Shivakumar and earlier Siddaramaiah), they only called and promised (Bengaluru development) and then gave it to someone else. I am very upset, cannot work against my conscience and I resign today,” Reddy told reporters. Krishna Byre Gowda, the 53-year-old Congress MLA from Bengaluru North (Byatrayanapura) has been given the responsibility of Bengaluru Development. Hours later, Muniyappa said that the Congress high command “must fix” the practice of overlooking seniors. “Ramalinga Reddy and I have won eight times. There are those who have won 5-8 times. This should have been looked at. I have requested the Congress national president that you have the place of a ‘mother’ and should look at everyone equally. Seniority must be maintained. What you do now will pave the way for the Congress to retain power in 2028. The portfolio they have allotted, they should review it and give (us) a chance for serving people,” Muniyappa said. He had demanded the social welfare portfolio but was instead given food & civil supplies. Sources indicate that at least two other ministers are unhappy with the portfolios announced Thursday night for 14 people, including Shivakumar. Although much of the focus has remained on the perceived smooth transition of power between CMs, with Siddaramaiah stepping down without protest and giving his blessings to his replacement, Shivakumar, the murmurs behind the scenes threaten to unravel the uneasy calm that has persisted ever since. These political developments give the Opposition ammunition to further corner the 48-hour-old Shivakumar government, adding to the challenges of the new administration. Rahul was in Bengaluru for the nomination filing of All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge for Rajya Sabha from Karnataka. Reddy maintained that he will continue to work as an MLA and remain in the Congress but his actions have raised alarm bells within the government. Reddy has never lost an assembly election since 1989 and has served as a minister in the cabinets of Veerappa Moily, S. M. Krishna, Dharam Singh, and Siddaramaiah’s two terms. He was among the 13 who took oath as ministers under Shivakumar 3 June. Reddy first entered politics as a student leader in 1973 and has remained with the Congress, making his way up the ranks from NSUI to Youth Congress and finally entering the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1989. His daughter, Sowmya Reddy, was the former Congress MLA from Jayanagara in Bengaluru. She lost the 2023 Assembly elections and also unsuccessfully contested the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Sowmya is currently the president of the state Mahila Congress. Reddy has been a legislator from Bengaluru for nearly 40 years. He was earlier touted to become Bengaluru Development minister with an eye on the impending Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) polls and wrest control of India’s IT city from the the BJP. “Ramalinga Reddy is an important leader and very dear to me, and I will speak with him. Ramalinga Reddy is not from a rural area. He has been given the Water Resources Ministry, but he wishes to work in the urban region,” Shivakumar told reporters, reacting to Reddy’s resignation. Muniyappa has been a seven-term MP from Kolar and a one-time MLA from Devanhalli. Muniyappa is also a prominent leaders of the SC-Left—a group that has leaned towards the BJP in recent times. With the entire party high command in Bengaluru, Shivakumar was left red-faced with the sudden turn of events. On the day of the oath-taking ceremony, Zameer Ahmed Khan, who was overlooked for the cabinet, was seen walking out midway through the ceremony. Congress MLAs have been making a beeline to Delhi to make their case and secure a place in the cabinet’s remaining 20 berths. There have been questions about the eligibility of those already inducted in the cabinet. Priyank Kharge, the son of the Congress national president, has been allocated the Home department along with IT/BT portfolios. Under Siddaramaiah, Priyank handled Rural Development & Panchayat Raj (RDPR), and in earlier stints, he was entrusted with social welfare. Krishna Byre Gowda, who enjoys a personal equation with Gandhi, has been handed the lucrative Bengaluru Development portfolio. Bengaluru is one of India’s biggest growth engines as it is the home of the IT revolution. That the city’s infrastructure image has taken a beating in recent times has not diminished its value as a portfolio. During B. S. Yediyurappa’s and Basavaraj Bommai’s reigns between 2019 and 2023, Bengaluru development was retained by the chief ministers themselves, indicating its importance. Yathindra, the MLC son of Siddaramaiah, has been allocated Urban Development and Backward Classes portfolio even though he has been elected MLA just once. There are also questions on a possible conflict of interest in Yathindra’s case since his parents are both accused in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scandal. Also read: ‘A Rs 4,000-cr scandal’ — Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, his wife & loyalists in eye of MUDA ‘scam’ storm The BJP wasted no time pointing out a pattern within the Congress allocations, linking it to preferential treatment and dynastic politics. R. Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition in Karnataka, used a cricket analogy to make his point. “Wickets are falling somehow… There are signs of more wickets falling too… But who is that master spinner knocking down these wickets? Who is the captain who has set the field? Even if that spinner, with a flick of the wrist, bowls out the DKShivakumar government before its term ends, it wouldn’t be a surprise!” he said in a post. ವಿಕೆಟ್ಟುಗಳೇನೋ ಬೀಳುತ್ತಿವೆ… ಇನ್ನಷ್ಟು ವಿಕೆಟ್ಟಿಗಳು ಬೀಳುವ ಲಕ್ಷಣಗಳೂ ಇವೆ…. ಆದರೆ ಈ ವಿಕೆಟ್ಟುಗಳನ್ನು ಉರುಳಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವ ಆ ಸಿದ್ಧಹಸ್ತ ಸ್ಪಿನ್ ಬೌಲರ್ ಯಾರು? ಫೀಲ್ಡಿಂಗ್ ಸೆಟ್ ಮಾಡಿರುವ ನಾಯಕ ಯಾರು? ಆ ಸ್ಪಿನ್ ಬೌಲರ್ ಕೈಚಳಕದಿಂದ ಅವಧಿಗೂ ಮುನ್ನವೇ DKShivakumar ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಆಲೌಟ್ ಆದರೂ ಅಚ್ಚರಿ ಇಲ್ಲ!… pic.twitter.com/VsIayb6am7 — R. Ashoka (RAshokaBJP) June 5, 2026 The Karnataka LoP alluded to Siddaramaiah’s alleged imprint in the new cabinet. At least six leaders, including his son Yathindra, are considered to be from the Siddaramaiah camp as the high command has gone out of its way to placate the 77-year-old for dislodging him from the top chair. The BJP also said that the Congress, which talks about women’s empowerment has been unable to accommodate a single female cabinet member so far. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Broken Bengaluru, fiscal fix, regional skew, restive minorities. Name the problem, DK Shivakumar has it