Sulking Anand Singh stays put for now after CM Bommai's assurance

Karnataka Tourism Minister Anand Singh on Wednesday appeared to have deferred his plan to resign after Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai assured him that his demands would be taken up with the BJP central leadership.

Singh has been sulking ever since Bommai gave him the tourism, environment & ecology portfolio. He wants a 'better' portfolio.

Bommai, Singh, Revenue Minister R Ashoka and Shorapur MLA Raju Gouda huddled for nearly two hours late evening on Wednesday. "It's true Singh wants a better portfolio that is at par with his capability. I have explained the current situation to him. Ultimately, the BJP central leadership will decide and all of us have to abide by it," Bommai told reporters.

"We have decided to stay united."After his meeting with Bommai, Singh said there was no question of his resignation. "I have asked for a change in portfolio. He said he will review it.

"Bommai also said Singh would hoist the tricolour in Vijayanagar on August 15. The late evening meeting came on a day full of hectic political developments surrounding Singh.

Earlier in the day, Singh performed a ritual at the Venugopala temple in his Vijayanagar constituency and dropped broad hints that he was considering resignation. On Tuesday, Singh is said to have closed down his office in Hospet, fueling speculation.

"In these 15 years of political life, I was under the wrong impression that there are leaders and friends who will protect me,” Singh said earlier in the day. “Lord Venugopala Krishna has given me the confidence to do what is right, even if that means my own sacrifice. I am confident that he will stand by me with whatever decision I take,” he said.

“My political journey, which is just 15 years old, started in this temple. Let’s see if it will end in this very temple. Everything is in the hands of Lord Krishna,” he said.

Later, former chief minister BS Yediyurappa dispatched his loyalist Raju Gouda to Ballari to bring Singh to Bengaluru. Singh met Yediyurappa, who is said to have advised the minister to not take "hasty" decisions.

"There are things that we can't discuss publicly," Raju Gouda told reporters.

Singh, a 4-time MLA, was the first among 17 legislators to defect from the Congress-JD(S) coalition. Before Congress, Singh was with the BJP and served as a minister between 2008 and 2013. Once linked to the mining scam, Singh has several cases pending against him.