Minister of State for Information and Infrastructure Development Santosh Lad who was directed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday to resign from the Council of Ministers has heeded the advice although after a round of discussion with the Chief Minister wherein he is believed to have raised some queries.
Mr. Lad who was away in New Delhi over the past two days, apparently to meet some of the senior leaders of the AICC, returned here on Friday and soon thereafter called on the Chief Minister to explain his position although he has done so on several occasions in the past few months when the matter pertaining to illegal mining and the role of his company, V.S. Lad and Company, was discussed. Mr. Lad said: “he is my captain, and I have abided by what he said.”
It is said that the Chief Minister was also under pressure to ask Mr. Lad to resign given the fact that Governor H.R. Bhadwaj had conveyed his opinion on the matter at least on two occasions. Further, the Chief Minister had to also face the Opposition in the legislature session, commencing on November 25 in Belgaum.
It should be noted that the resignation of a Minister (against whom charges have been levelled by the Opposition) ahead of a legislature session is expected to help the government in the smooth conduct of the business on the floor of the legislature. However, the resignation in itself will also dent the image of the government.