The long-delayed Karnataka Cabinet expansion, which was effected on Monday, has triggered widespread discontent within the ruling Congress, with several senior MLAs expressing anger over being denied ministerial berths and at least two of them threatening to resign from the Legislative Assembly.

The immediate flashpoint was the resignation of three-time Indi MLA Yashwanthrayagouda Patil, who submitted his resignation from the Assembly membership after being overlooked for a Cabinet berth. MLA for Sagar Belur Gopalakrishna also announced that he would resign on Tuesday, escalating what began as behind-the-scenes lobbying into open dissent and increasing pressure on Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and the Congress high command.

Mr. Patil alleged that Industry Minister M.B. Patil had conspired to block his induction into the Cabinet. Besides Mr. Patil and Mr. Gopalakrishna, senior legislators including Tanveer Sait, T.B. Jayachandra, B.J. Sangameshwara, N.Y. Gopalakrishna, Appaji C.S. Nadagouda, Hampanagouda Badarli, S.N. Narayanaswamy M. Krishnappa and his son, MLA Priya Krishna, openly expressed disappointment over their exclusion. Some of them said they would consult their supporters before deciding on their future course of action.

Several MLAs alleged that the party leadership had given preference to legislators who had joined the Congress from other parties over loyalists.

Protests

The anger quickly spilled onto the streets, with supporters staging protests outside Legislators’ Home in Bengaluru, burning tyres in some constituencies and raising slogans against the party leadership.

In Bengaluru’s Vijayanagar constituency, supporters of Mr. Krishnappa and Mr. Priya Krishna staged demonstrations demanding their inclusion in the Cabinet. Similar protests were reported in Koppal district by supporters of Raghavendra Hitnal. In Mysuru, supporters of Mr. Sait demanded his resignation from the Assembly, while one supporter allegedly attempted suicide by consuming poison and was admitted to hospital. A supporter of MLA for Sindhanur Badarli too attempted suicide.

The Cabinet composition has also drawn criticism over regional and community representation. While no woman or Brahmin MLA has found a place, no representation has been given to Kolar and Chickballapur districts.

Differences between leaders

Political functionaries observed that last-minute changes to the Cabinet list reflected differences between Mr. Shivakumar, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and the Congress high command.

Gayathri Shanthegouda was reportedly dropped at Mr. Siddaramaiah’s insistence, while Mankal Vaidya was replaced by S.S. Mallikarjun, reportedly at Mr. Shivakumar’s instance. Mr. Siddaramaiah is also learnt to have favoured the induction of MLA for Byadgi Basavaraj Shivannavar of the Kuruba community.

Apparently irked over the list of Ministers, Mr. Siddaramaiah did not attend the swearing-in ceremony at Lok Bhavan.

Seeking to contain the rebellion, Mr. Shivakumar appealed to disappointed legislators to remain patient, recalling that he himself had not found a place in the initial Cabinet formations in 2004 and 2013.

Mr. Yashwanthrayagouda Patil said, “I have been in politics for four decades. I am hurt,” adding that he was yet to decide whether to quit the Congress.

Mr. Gopalakrishna announced that he would resign both as MLA and as chairman of the Karnataka State Forest Industries Corporation. In an apparent dig at Minister Madhu Bangarappa, he said, “Only if you are the son of a Chief Minister or a Minister do you get a chance.”

Ammunition to Opposition

Although the rebellion does not pose an immediate threat to the government’s stability because of the Congress’s comfortable majority in the Assembly, the growing resentment among overlooked MLAs could undermine party cohesion, divert the government’s attention from governance and provide the BJP and the JD(S) with fresh political ammunition.

The Congress leadership is now expected to explore appointments such as political secretaries and organisational posts to placate disgruntled legislators and prevent the crisis from deepening.

Published - August 03, 2026 07:54 pm IST