Bengaluru, June 5 (IANS) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge filed his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections from Karnataka at the Vidhana Soudha here on Friday.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were present on the occasion.

Biennial Rajya Sabha elections from Karnataka are due to be held on June 18.

Earlier, amid the crisis faced by the new Congress government led by Chief Minister Shivakumar, Rahul Gandhi and Kharge arrived in Bengaluru on Friday for the filing of the nomination papers.

Upon their arrival, they were accorded a warm welcome by Chief Minister Shivakumar, new Congress state President B.K. Hariprasad, and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Gandhi planted a sapling and watered it upon his arrival at the Kempegowda International Airport.

Chief Minister Shivakumar, Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, Siddaramaiah, Minister M.B. Patil, and other senior leaders were present on the occasion.

The top leaders came as Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Friday announced his decision to resign from the cabinet, alleging that Chief Minister Shivakumar had gone back on his promise regarding the allocation of the Bengaluru Urban portfolio.

Speaking from his Koramangala office here, Reddy said he would submit his resignation and leave it to the leadership to decide whether to accept it or not.

He further claimed that during the current government formation process, he was promised the Bengaluru Urban portfolio after 2.5 years and was persuaded to accept the arrangement.

He alleged that Chief Minister Shivakumar and his brother D.K. Suresh had personally assured him at his residence that the promise would be honoured. However, despite repeated assurances, he was later allocated the Water Resources portfolio, he said.

In another setback to the newly formed Karnataka government, veteran Congress leader and Minister K. H. Muniyappa has expressed strong dissatisfaction over the allocation of the Food and Civil Supplies Department and announced that he will not assume charge of the ministry. He has also urged the high command to step in and rectify what has gone wrong.

A seven-time Member of Parliament and current MLA from Devanahalli, Muniyappa hails from the Dalit community and is regarded as one of the senior-most leaders of the Congress in the state. A former Union Minister, he is known for his loyalty to the party and his people-friendly approach. He previously served as Minister for Food and Civil Supplies.

The developments came a day after the allocation of portfolios of the new Congress government, headed by Shivakumar, which assumed office on Wednesday.

–IANS

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