Minister for Urban Development and Law and Parliamentary Affairs S. Suresh Kumar is the ninth Minister since the formation of the BJP government in 2008 to tender his resignation following a controversy.
Mr. Suresh Kumar quit the Ministry on Saturday following allegations that he suppressed facts in an affidavit for obtaining a residential site from the Bangalore Development Authority.
If Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda accepts his resignation, there will be 12 vacancies in the Cabinet, and Mr. Gowda will have to handle nearly 25 portfolios.
Other resignations
A total of eight Cabinet members, including the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, have resigned over one controversy or the other during the last four years of the BJP government in the State. Katta Subramanya Naidu, S.N. Krishnaiah Setty, H. Halappa, Ramachandra Gowda, Laxman Savadi, C.C. Patil, Krishna Palemar are others who had quit.
Mr. Suresh Kumar, a three-time MLA, has an RSS background and commands respect from Opposition leaders as well.
As Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, he has defended the government both inside and outside the legislature. He also used to brief the press about the decisions taken by the Cabinet.
Mr. Krishnaiah Setty, who held the Housing portfolio, was the first Minister to resign following his involvement in the Karnataka Housing Board land scam. Mr. Subramanya Naidu quit after a row over providing compensation for acquiring lands by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board .
Mr. Halappa, who held the Food and Civil Supplies portfolio, was forced to resign after he was accused of rape. Mr. Ramachandra Gowda quit as Medical Education Minister over recruitment of staff to medical colleges.
Mr. Savadi and Mr. Patil were filmed watching porn clips on cellphone inside Legislative Assembly when the House was discussing drought related issues. Mr. Palemar resigned on charges of supplying the clippings to Mr. Patil and Mr. Savadi.
Ministers such as Aravind Limbavali, K.S. Eshwarappa, Mumtaz Ali Khan, G. Janardhana Reddy, G. Karunakara Reddy, B Sriramulu, Belllubi Kallappa Sangappa, and five Independents — Venkataramannappa, P.M. Narendra Swamy, D. Sudhakar, Gulihatti Shekhar and Shivaraj Tangadagi — were dropped for various reasons.
