On Thursday, Karnataka’s Indi taluk in Vijayapura was added to the ground truthing list for drought assessment. This decision came just a day after Congress MLA Yashvanta Rayagouda V Patil resigned, citing the exclusion of his constituency from the list of drought-affected areas. Patil’s resignation underscores the political tensions surrounding drought management and the accountability of local governance in addressing agricultural crises.
Patil had argued that his repeated requests to include Indi and Chadachan had gone unheeded and had tendered his resignation from the Assembly on Wednesday. The government issued a notification adding Indi to the list, following Patil’s intervention with chief minister D.K. Shivakumar. The inclusion came as the Assembly was debating Patil’s resignation and the government’s drought declarations. Patil, the Congress legislator from Indi, had submitted his resignation to the Speaker and separately informed Shivakumar of his decision. “I have conveyed my concerns to the chief minister, and he has assured me that the issue will be rectified. Twelve taluks in Vijayapura district have been declared drought hit. However, only my two taluks have not been included in the drought declaration. I am repeatedly being treated unfairly. Shivakumar defended Patil’s decision as one linked to the situation faced by farmers in his constituency rather than as a political manoeuvre. “This is a resignation given for the sake of the people’s livelihood.
Because it did not comply with the prescribed rules, the Speaker, GS Patil, had said the resignation could not be accepted.
He had said farmers in his constituency were facing pressure after borrowing money and investing in cultivation, while Indi remained outside the drought declaration. Ours is the last taluk, yet it has not been declared drought hit. chief minister DK Shivakumar has understood my concern, and I am confident that he will rectify the issue,” Patil said. Former home minister and BJP MLA Araga Jnanendra raised the issue in the Assembly, while Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said he was speaking in that capacity on the resignation of a sitting legislator. Ashoka said the BJP had a copy of the resignation letter and referred to Shivakumar’s earlier statement that resignations submitted by legislators would be accepted. The Prime Minister has also warned us about the drought situation,” Shivakumar said.
