Bengaluru: A last ditch effort by Congress leaders to persuade Bengaluru strongman and BTM Layout MLA, R. Ramalinga Reddy to withdraw his resignation and return to the party, did not pay off as the former reportedly stuck to his demand that he would not withdraw his resignation at this juncture or accept any post in the ruling coalition.
Earlier in the day, KPCC working president Eshwar Khandre and party senior leader H.K. Patil met Mr Reddy but he did not respond positively to their overtures. In the evening, it was turn of CLP leader, Siddaramaiah, AICC general secretary, K. C. Venugopal and others to woo him but Mr Reddy stuck to his stand.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader observed that Mr Reddy did not even participate in a conversation with the leaders. "Say what you have to say. I will do what I feel is right," was his curt reply to Mr Siddaramaiah.
With this setback, there is a strong possibility of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy delivering a lengthy, emotional speech at the session at Vidhana Soudha on Monday and then heading to Raj Bhavan to tender his resignation, said sources.
