Senior Karnataka Congress leader SR Patil puts in papers for resignation

Shivanagowda Rudragowda Patil(SR Patil), senior Karnataka Congress leader, has resigned as the ruling president of the Karnataka North Congress Wing. According to news agency ANI, Patil has tendered his resignation on moral grounds owing to his party’s performance in North Karnataka in the recently held assembly elections.

Erstwhile owing to media reports, the senior Congress leader has submitted resignation letter to party president Rahul Gandhi but no official statement has been put out by the higher authorities in Congress.

Congress North Karnataka Working President SR Patil tenders resignation on moral grounds owing to party's performance in North Karnataka in the recent assembly elections. pic.twitter.com/iZP1hara2F

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2018

“I was in-charge of the party’s performance in North Karnataka. Had my party won more seats from there, we would have formed the government independently. I resigned taking up moral responsibility for our losses. I sent my resignation via email to party President,” S R Patil told The New Indian Express. While Patil claims that he submitted his resignation on May 25, the development has come to light only now at a time when senior leaders of the Congress are expressing disgruntlement over not being accommodated into the ministry of the JD(S)- Congress coalition government.

Patil(69), a Lingayat MLC, is a law graduate. He had served as Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council during the former Bharatiya Janata Party Government.He has served as the minister for Infrastructure, information technology, biotechnology, science and technology, planning and statistics in the Government of Karnataka. He had also served as the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council.

Taking a dig at Patil’s resignation, BJP tweeted, “The downfall of the empire that was built after mocking people’s mandate has begun. @INCKarnataka senior leader Sri. S R Patil resigns. This is only the beginning of the downfall of power hungry government.”