Karnataka Minister B Nagendra Resigns From Cabinet and MLA Post Amid Valmiki Corporation Irregularity Row

Karnataka Minister B Nagendra resigned from the state Cabinet as well as his MLA position on Friday amid continuing allegations over financial irregularities at the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.

Nagendra, who was visibly emotional during a press conference, said he had chosen to step down voluntarily to prevent the controversy from causing further embarrassment to the Congress party.

“I am resigning of my own will to avoid the embarrassment that may cost my party because of unnecessary allegations made by the opposition party against me,” Nagendra said.

He also accused the BJP of pursuing what he described as “manuvadi” politics and maintained that he was being targeted by the Opposition.

Opposition Pressure on Nagendra

Nagendra’s resignation came after sustained pressure from the BJP and JD(S), which had repeatedly demanded his removal over the alleged Valmiki Corporation financial irregularities.

The Opposition intensified its campaign after Nagendra was re-inducted into the Karnataka Cabinet on August 3, 2026. The BJP and JD(S) alleged that his return to the Cabinet was inappropriate given the unresolved controversy surrounding the corporation.

The Opposition parties staged several protests inside and outside the Karnataka legislature during the recent monsoon session. The session was adjourned sine die on August 24, three days earlier than scheduled, amid continued disruptions.

The BJP and JD(S) had also announced plans for a foot march from Raichur to Ballari between September 1 and September 10, with Nagendra’s resignation among their key demands.

What Is the Valmiki Corporation Financial Irregularity Case?

The controversy emerged in May 2024 following the death of P Chandrasekharan, who worked as an accounts superintendent with the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.

Chandrasekharan died by suicide and left behind a six-page note alleging financial irregularities and unauthorised transfers involving funds belonging to the state-run corporation.

Investigations that followed found that ₹89.63 crore had been transferred from a corporation account to an account at Union Bank of India. The money was subsequently moved through multiple other accounts, triggering a major political controversy in Karnataka.

Nagendra was serving as the state’s tribal welfare minister when the allegations surfaced. He resigned from the Cabinet in June 2024 amid the controversy.

He was later brought back into the Karnataka Cabinet on August 3, 2026, and was assigned the Planning and Statistics portfolio.

His re-induction renewed demands from the BJP and JD(S) for his removal and kept the Valmiki Corporation controversy at the centre of Karnataka’s political debate.

Nagendra’s latest resignation from both the Cabinet and his MLA position marks a significant development in the ongoing political controversy surrounding the alleged financial irregularities.