Karnataka minister KS Eshwarappa, caught in a huge controversy following allegations of corruption and a role in the suicide of a contractor, said he will step down from his post tomorrow evening. "Tomorrow I'm handing over the resignation letter to the Chief Minister. I thank you all for co-operation," he told reporters.
Mr Eshwarappa's declaration came hours after Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai assured his continuing as part of his cabinet. The decision, he told NDTV in an exclusive interview, will depend on the outcome of the preliminary inquiry. Mr Eshwarappa was also not willing to step down, having expressly told reporters that if "they are asking for my resignation, I won't give one".
Sources, however, said the BJP high command had given clear cut directions to the state that Mr Eshwarappa must step down to save the party's anti-corruption image. Contractor Santhosh Patil, who made the corruption allegations against him in his last WhatsApp messages to friends and political leaders, had marked them to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well.
It is not yet known whether legal action will be taken against Mr Eshwarappa in view of the corruption allegations. He has already been named in the police case filed over the suicide of Santhosh Patil.
The contractor -- who allegedly died by suicide on Tuesday -- has accused Mr Eashwarappa, who handles the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj portfolio, of corruption.
In his last phone messages, Santhosh Patil, had named the minister, saying he was "solely responsible" for his death. Mr Bommai, he alleged, had demanded a "40 per cent cut money" to clear a Rs 4 crore bill for work he had done for the Rural Development department.
