Bjp Wants Nagendra Dropped From Karnataka Cabinet

Karnataka’s Opposition BJP on Tuesday threatened not to allow the legislature to function in the upcoming monsoon session if Chief Minister D K Shivakumar does not drop B Nagendra from his expanded Cabinet. Nagendra had to quit as a minister in 2024 after a Valmiki corporation official killed himself alleging pressure from the Congress leader to divert funds.

Nagendra, who was the scheduled tribes welfare minister and chairman of Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited, was arrested as both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) started inquiring into the Valmiki corporation scam. The CBI case is that he received illegal gratification of Rs 1.2 crore, while the ED inquired into alleged money laundering related to the misappropriation of Rs 94.73 crore from the corporation.

“Before the Houses convene on August 13, we demand the CM drop Nagendra, the corrupt minister,” said BJP state president B Y Vijayendra. The BJP and JD(S) will fight both inside and outside the legislature until he is removed from the Cabinet, he added.

Among the 19 Congress legislators sworn in as ministers on August 3, Nagendra is a mining baron from the undivided Bellary district. He was also accused of illegally transporting iron ore in the mining scam that rocked the state in 2011.

Nagendra is a four-time MLA now representing Bellary Rural. Although he won his first election in 2008 from Kudligi as a BJP candidate, he has since won three elections for the Congress.

Vijayendra’s remarks came a day after Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka said Nagendra was “unfit to be a minister”. Noting that the CBI has filed a chargesheet against him, the BJP MLA also accused Nagendra of violating bail conditions and travelling to Delhi.

BJP MLA V Sunil Kumar alleged that the Congress high command decided to induct Nagendra into the Cabinet because it feared he would otherwise expose the party’s “role” in the Valmiki scam.

However, Nagendra has found support from Shivakumar, who said that being an accused did not disqualify a legislator from becoming a minister.

“I am also on bail. Didn’t (Union minister) H D Kumaraswamy obtain bail? There are many ministers in the country who are on bail,” the chief minister said.