Ramalinga Reddy quits Karnataka cabinet over portfolio allocation, to remain Congress MLA

Senior Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy has resigned from the Karnataka cabinet, reportedly upset over the allocation of portfolios in the newly formed DK Shivakumar government. Sources said the 72-year-old leader will continue as a Congress MLA despite quitting the ministry.

The resignation comes just days after the swearing-in of the new Karnataka government and signals the first signs of internal dissatisfaction within the ruling Congress.

At the centre of the row is the Bengaluru Development portfolio, considered one of the most influential and politically significant departments in the Karnataka government.

The portfolio is responsible for planning, infrastructure development and key civic projects in Bengaluru, the state's capital and economic hub.

The department has now been entrusted to senior Congress leader Krishna Byre Gowda, a move that reportedly disappointed Ramalinga Reddy, who was said to be keen on handling Bengaluru-related affairs.

A veteran Congress politician and MLA from BTM Layout, Reddy has held several important positions over the years.

In the previous Siddaramaiah government, he served as Minister for Transport and Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments.

He has also handled the crucial Home portfolio in the past and remains one of the party's most experienced leaders in Karnataka.

Krishna Byre Gowda, 53, is also a senior Congress figure and previously served as Revenue Minister in the Siddaramaiah cabinet.

A prominent Vokkaliga leader, he represents the Byatarayanapura Assembly constituency in Bengaluru.

Gowda comes from a well-known political family. His father, C Byre Gowda, served as Deputy Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and was also Karnataka's Agriculture Minister.

The allocation of the Bengaluru Development portfolio to Krishna Byre Gowda is being seen as a major political responsibility, given the department's influence over infrastructure and urban governance in one of India's fastest-growing cities.

While the Congress leadership has not officially commented on the resignation, the episode has highlighted early tensions within the new government over cabinet positions and portfolio distribution.