Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy was expected to meet Randeep Singh Surjewala, Congress general secretary in charge of Karnataka, on June 6 in connection with the allocation of portfolio.

Mr. Reddy had been sworn in as a minister in the Cabinet headed by Chief Minister D.K Shivakumar on June 3. However, he resigned soon after portfolios were allocated as he was unhappy with the ministry allotted to him. He went so far as to say that he had been ‘humiliated’.

Though the Chief Minister, early on June 6, said that ‘things have been settled’, sources close to Mr. Reddy indicated otherwise. Mr. Reddy, who has expressed his unhappiness over being given the water resources portfolio, is likely to meet the Congress central leadership to push his case for the Bengaluru Development portfolio even though the Chief Minister has said that it was the high command’s decision.

Dinesh Gundu Rao, who served as the health minister during the tenure of Siddaramaiah, is also not in the new Cabinet. His wife has posted a message on X that seems to allude to him missing out on a ministerial berth.

Mr. Shivakumar met Mr. Reddy for nearly two-and-a-half hours at a private hotel in Jayanagar late on June 5 night amid efforts by the Congress leadership to persuade the veteran leader to withdraw his resignation.

The meeting went on till the wee hours of June 6. Senior Congress leaders and some of Mr. Reddy's close associates were also involved in the discussions.