Karnataka Congress MLA Yashvantharayagowda Patil resigns over Indi’s exclusion from drought-hit list

Bengaluru: Congress MLA Yashvantharayagowda Patil (Indi) on Wednesday resigned from the Assembly, protesting the exclusion of Indi and Chadachana taluks in Vijayapura district from Karnataka’s drought-hit list.

Patil met Assembly Speaker G S Patil and submitted his resignation letter. Chief Minister D K Shivakumar later met the MLA in the Assembly and sought to persuade him to withdraw his resignation.

In his letter, Patil said Indi had faced severe drought during the 2026-27 monsoon season, with crop losses and drinking water shortages affecting people and livestock. Farmers, he said, had borrowed money to buy seeds and fertilisers and started sowing after initial rainfall, but subsequent rainfall failure damaged crops.


Patil said he had submitted a memorandum to Shivakumar and Deputy CM G Parameshwara on August 28, seeking drought-hit status for Indi. He questioned the exclusion of Indi and Chadachana even as 124 taluks have been declared drought-affected in two phases.

The latest notification added 23 taluks, including Basavana Bagewadi, Babaleshwar and Tikota in Vijayapura district. The government is conducting further field assessments in 53 taluks across 17 districts, and the drought-hit list could be expanded based on the reports.

Patil said he had repeatedly raised the issue with the government, but his requests had not received adequate consideration. He also criticised what he described as the greater influence of those who use pressure tactics.

The resignation is Patil’s second this year. He had resigned in August after being left out of the state Cabinet during the expansion. He later withdrew the resignation following persuasion by party leaders.

The latest resignation triggered a political exchange in the Assembly, with Opposition leader R Ashoka displaying Patil’s resignation letter and criticising the government.

Ashoka also referred to Congress veteran H K Patil’s recent statement that he would resign as MLA if Gadag was not declared drought-hit by October 10. The government is yet to accord drought-hit status to Gadag.

The developments come amid continuing assessments of drought conditions across Karnataka following uneven southwest monsoon rainfall.