My next move after Speaker accepts resignation: Ramalinga Reddy

Bengaluru: Not prepared to climb down from his earlier stand, senior Congress leader and BTM layout MLA Ramalinga Reddy reiterated his charge that seniors in the party were neglected by the leadership and said the future course of action will be decided after acceptance of the resignation of all disgruntled Congress and Janata Dal  (Secular) legislators by the Speaker.
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Talking to Deccan Chronicle from a hotel in Mumbai on Sunday, he said he had given enough opportunities to state leaders to address the injustice meted out to senior legislators by the coalition government but none of them took it seriously. As a result he had no option except to tender his resignation. “From the beginning I am not after power and never lobbied to get into the council of ministers.  I am fighting for senior legislators, who have been sidelined in the party in a bid to encourage newcomers.”

''Asserting that he was not behind the coup of Congress and JD(S) legislators, Mr Reddy said the secret meetings of disgruntled legislators were going on since past five days and they had resolved to resign en masse to express their disenchantment with the coalition government.  Two days ago, three  Bengaluru city MLAs, Muniratna,  S.T. Somshekhar and Bhairathi Basavaraj came to his house and discussed the matter and  then,  all of them decided to resign. They took him to the Speaker's office to hand over their resignations in one go but the assembly presiding officer was not present. After that, they and three JD(S) legislators went to the Raj Bhavan to meet the governor and  hand over the resignation letters.

 Not prepared to say that he will withdraw his resignation if offered a minister’s post, Mr Reddy said he would be returning to Bengaluru soon and would not hesitate to meet any leader, including AICC  General Secretary  in-charge of Karnataka affairs K.C. Venugopal or CLP leader Siddaramaiah.

His intentions are clear and so he was prepared to talk with anyone, Mr Reddy added.

Asked if his daughter and Jayanagar Congress MLA Soumya Reddy has offered her resignation to support the cause of other legislators, Mr Reddy quipped, “You should ask her. I don't know whether she will resign. I am also not aware that another group of Congress and JD(S) legislators are planning to resign on Monday.”

Mr Reddy ruled out the possibility of former state JD(S) president A.H. Vishwanath being behind this coup and said he, along with two MLAs had joined the group as they were not happy with the coalition government.