Karnataka: Anand Singh relents after CM assures him of taking portfolio matter with senior leaders

Bengaluru: The disgruntled Tourism Minister Anand Singh at last has relented from taking any extreme step after Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai assured him of taking up the matter of changing his portfolio with senior leaders.

He also agreed to unfurl the tricolor on Independence Day celebrations on August 15 in Vijayanagara.

"It is true that he (Anand Singh) had requested for a good ministry, but I explained to him about the present situation. He came and met me the day before yesterday. I had informed our meeting to B S Yediyurappa. Also he had met Yediyurappa. I also told him that I will talk with our senior leaders about the issue. Keeping all this in view, he has agreed," Bommai told reporters here.

Bommai said Singh had understood the circumstances under which he had expanded the cabinet and distributed the portfolios.

"In politics, everything does not happen as per the wishes of an individual, but I have told him the necessity of going together in the present circumstances. Therefore, with a large heart, he has agreed to go together and make decisions together," he said.

Bommai also said he has directed Singh to unfurl the flag on Independence Day celebrations on August 15.

Standing beside Bommai, Singh refuted media reports of him tendering resignation and assured his support to Bommai's government and work unitedly.

"It is true that I had requested for the change of portfolio. He (Bommai) has considered my request and said he would talk to the senior leaders about the issue. I will absolutely give all my support to him and move together," Singh added.

Replying to a query on his plans of resigning, Singh reverted, "Did I tell anywhere that I will resign? I haven't said anywhere, and there is no question of me resigning."

Soon after reaching Bengaluru in a helicopter, Singh, along with his close aide and BJP ML Raju Gowda, met Yediyurappa at his residence and put his demands before him. He could only meet Bommai after 7 pm because of the chief minister's busy schedule.

The two hours meeting was attended by R Ashok, Gowda and Singh, besides Bommai.

Earlier in Vijayanagara, Singh had left everything to the decision of Lord Krishna regarding his political career. He had hinted at resigning if his demands were not met.

"I want to tell one thing to the media. I started my political life from this very Venugopala Krishna temple. I do not know whether my political life will end or will restart from this very temple. We have to wait and watch. My political fate is in the hands of Lord Krishna," he said.

He made these remarks after performing a "Maha Puja" at Sri Venugopalakrishna temple, which was built by his grandfather.

He had started his political life after conducting puja in 2008. Singh pins great importance to the divinity of the temple. Before resigning as Congress legislator, he had performed a similar Maha Puja in this temple.

Singh has been nursing disappointment over the portfolio allocated to him. Bommai has allocated a tourism portfolio, but he is reportedly demanding energy or public works ministries. Apart from this, he has yet visited the Vidhana Soudha and not occupied his chamber.

Earlier, Singh had refused to drop his demands and raised doubts about the senior leaders trusting him, though he trusted them and Lord Krishna. "I have faith in Lord Krishna, who protected Arjuna in the battlefield of Mahabharata. Likewise I have faith in our leadership, but whether they have faith in me? I am beginning to doubt," he said.

Anand Singh's political drama in Vijayanagara

Yesterday, Singh's staff had taken down the name board at his legislator's residence-cum-office at Vijayanagara city. This had created political ripples in the state.

A video depicting the same also had gone viral on Twitter. His staff also had informed the people of Singh's unavailability to receive their pleas and grievances.

All these days, he had not even once visited the Vidhana Soudha and he is yet to occupy his chamber. Sources say Singh is demanding energy or public works portfolios. Energy ministry has been allocated to Sunil Kumar.

Earlier in Ballari, Singh had hinted that he would resign if his demand was not met. "I am a stubborn man. I will not bog down for any reason. I will even resign from my assembly membership if my demand is not met," he had threatened.

These threats from Singh are not new. He had issued such threats during the JD(S)-Congress coalition government while demanding district status to Vijayanagara.

When the JDS-Congress coalition government refused to heed to his demand, Singh resigned as Congress legislator and paved the way for other rebel JD(S) and Congress MLAs to resign.

After their resignations, the rebel JD(S) and Congress legislators joined the BJP and toppled the coalition government led by HD Kumaraswamy and paved the way for BS Yediyurappa to win trust vote in the state assembly and form the government.

After assuming charge as a minister in the BJP government, Singh had allegedly pressured Yediyurappa threatening to resign as a minister and quit the party if the Vijayanagara district was not carved out of Ballari.

Apparently sensing the danger it could cause to the government, Yediyurappa's government approved the new district on November 18, 2020, and finally announced Vijayanagara as the 31st district in its gazette notification. (UNI)