Senior Congress leader B R Patil quits as CM Siddaramaiah's advisor

Bengaluru: Bengaluru: Senior Congress lawmaker B R Patil has resigned as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's Policy & Planning Advisor, forsaking all Cabinet-rank emoluments he was entitled to.

Confirming his resignation, Patil told DH that he decided to quit as Siddaramaiah did not need an advisor. "Siddaramaiah has enough administrative experience on his own," he said.

Patil, who has served as deputy chairperson of the Legislative Council, is seen as being close to Siddaramaiah.

Patil, the Aland MLA, was among three senior Congress leaders who did not make it as ministers and were appointed as Siddaramaiah's advisors with Cabinet ranks in December 2023.

Haliyal MLA RV Deshpande was made chairperson of the Administrative Reforms Commission while Basavaraj Rayareddi (Yelburga) became the CM's economic advisor.

Except Deshpande, Patil and Rayareddi had publicly expressed their disgruntlement over various issues concerning the functioning of the Congress government. Both of them had written letters to Siddaramaiah, leaving the party and government red-faced. Patil was critical of ministers in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet.

According to sources, Patil decided to quit as he was upset with the chief minister's office not entertaining his request to sanction Rs 200 crore to construct check dams in his Aland constituency.

Speaking in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah acknowledged receipt of Patil's letter of resignation. "The letter has reached my Bengaluru office. I haven't read it. I'll speak to (Patil)," he said. "There's no rift between us," he added.