Congress MLA Yeshwanthrayagouda Patil has submitted his resignation from the Karnataka Assembly after his constituency’s Indi and Chadachan taluks were left out of the state’s official drought-hit list. Patil said the decision was linked to his concerns over the difficulties faced by farmers and residents in his constituency.
Patil, who represents the Indi Assembly constituency in Vijayapura district, said the area had faced poor rainfall during the 2026-27 kharif season. According to his resignation letter, farmers initially received some rainfall and borrowed money to purchase seeds and fertilisers. However, the later shortage of rain affected crops and created water problems for people and livestock.
The MLA said he had repeatedly raised the issue with the state government. He had also submitted a representation to Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on August 28, requesting that Indi be declared drought-affected.
Vijayapura district has 13 taluks. Patil pointed out that 11 of them had been included in the drought-hit list, while Indi and Chadachan remained outside it. The state government has continued to assess drought conditions in different areas and has said that the list could be expanded after further assessments.
In his resignation letter, Patil said he felt unable to meet the expectations of the people who had elected him. He also alleged that influential people and those using pressure tactics were receiving greater consideration than legislators who raised issues through regular channels. These are Patil’s claims and have not been independently established.
The resignation led to a debate in the Karnataka Assembly during discussions on the state’s drought situation. Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said drought-hit areas are identified using prescribed criteria and rainfall data rather than political discretion. He also said that several areas across the state had received less rainfall but were not automatically declared drought-hit.
Patil’s resignation was his second such move in 2026. He had earlier resigned after being left out of the state Cabinet expansion but later withdrew that resignation following discussions with party leaders.
The latest resignation has added to the political discussion surrounding drought management in Karnataka. Other legislators have also raised concerns about areas that have not yet received official drought-hit status.
However, reports on September 24 said the Assembly Speaker did not accept Patil’s resignation because it was not submitted in the prescribed format. Patil has nevertheless said that he remains committed to his decision and wants the concerns of people in Indi and Chadachan to be addressed.
The Karnataka government is continuing its assessment of drought conditions across the state. The final status of the excluded taluks and the next steps on drought relief will depend on the ongoing assessment and government decisions.