The Congress party's eleventh-hour changes to the Karnataka Cabinet expansion list on 3 August triggered open revolt within its own ranks, with multiple legislators threatening to resign their Assembly memberships, supporters staging street protests, and one party worker allegedly consuming poison in protest against the exclusions. The swearing-in ceremony, ultimately held at 5 pm at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru, marked the induction of 20 legislators as ministers — ending months of political suspense.

Last-Minute List Changes

In a dramatic development ahead of the oath-taking, the Congress high command reportedly dropped Mankal S. Vaidya from the final ministerial list and substituted him with former minister S.S. Mallikarjun, a senior Lingayat leader from Central Karnataka. Mallikarjun's inclusion is believed to reflect the party's effort to shore up regional and community representation in the expanded Cabinet.

The reshuffle, however, left several aspirants fuming. Senior leaders Hampanagouda Badarli, Ashok Pattan, and Raghavendra Hitnal also publicly expressed disappointment at being passed over.

MLAs Announce Resignations

Indi MLA Yashavanth Rayagouda Patil announced he had drafted a resignation letter and intended to submit it to the Assembly Speaker, claiming he had been verbally assured of a Cabinet berth until the final hours. 'There is a big conspiracy. My exclusion shows that this is not the time for honest and loyal party workers. Until yesterday, the leadership told me that I was in the list and asked me to be ready for the oath-taking ceremony. At the last minute, my name was removed. What should I tell my supporters?' Patil told reporters.

Patil alleged that a Monday morning meeting resulted in the list being revised, and that senior leaders including Randeep Singh Surjewala, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar subsequently informed MLAs from his district that ministers M.B. Patil and Shivanand Patil had been accommodated instead. He said his constituency had not been represented in the Cabinet since Independence, and declared he would leave the Vidhana Soudha as a former MLA.

Patil, who claims 40 years of active politics and participation in eight elections, added: 'There is no meaning in continuing under the present leadership.'

Sagar MLA Joins the Chorus

Former minister and Sagar MLA Belur Gopalakrishna also announced he would quit the Assembly, alleging that grassroots leaders were being systematically overlooked in favour of political dynasties. 'I will not resign alone. We are a group and we will submit our resignations tomorrow at 10 am. I never imagined that I would be betrayed like this,' he said.

Gopalakrishna questioned why children of former chief ministers and senior ministers continued to receive Cabinet opportunities while ordinary workers were sidelined. 'Sons of former chief ministers and ministers get opportunities, but common workers do not. Is the party unwilling to allow grassroots leaders to grow?' he asked. He also announced he would step down from his position in a state corporation.

Supporter Allegedly Consumes Poison

Tensions escalated sharply after a supporter of senior Congress leader and six-time MLA Tanveer Sait allegedly consumed poison to protest Sait's exclusion from the Cabinet. The individual was rushed to hospital, where treatment was reportedly underway. The incident underscores the depth of frustration among ground-level workers over the Cabinet formation process.

What Happens Next

With the swearing-in concluded, the Congress leadership faces the immediate task of managing the fallout from multiple threatened resignations. If even a handful of MLAs follow through, the party's legislative arithmetic in the Assembly could come under pressure. The Karnataka government is expected to address the dissenting legislators in the coming days to prevent the situation from escalating further.