Karnataka Planning and Statistics Minister B Nagendra resigned from the state Cabinet on August 28, 2026, amid mounting political pressure over alleged financial irregularities in the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation. Reports also state that Nagendra announced his decision to step down as an MLA.
The controversy centres on alleged irregularities involving ₹89.63 crore, which investigators say was diverted from the corporation through fraudulent banking transactions. The case came to light in May 2024 after corporation accounts superintendent P. Chandrasekharan died by suicide and left a note alleging unauthorised transfers of funds.
Nagendra, who was Tribal Welfare Minister when the controversy first emerged, had previously resigned from the Siddaramaiah Cabinet in June 2024. He was re-inducted into the Cabinet on August 3, 2026, after D.K. Shivakumar became Chief Minister, but faced renewed demands for his removal from the BJP and JD(S).
Announcing his resignation, Nagendra denied involvement in the alleged irregularities and said he was stepping down voluntarily to prevent the controversy from causing embarrassment to the Congress government. He accused the BJP of targeting him because he is a Dalit and Scheduled Tribes leader and said he was prepared to prove his innocence.
The resignation came shortly before a 10-day BJP padayatra from Raichur to Ballari, scheduled to begin on September 1, with Nagendra's continuation in the Cabinet expected to be a major issue during the protest.
The legal pressure had also intensified after the CBI sought Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's sanction to prosecute Nagendra in connection with the case. The allegations remain subject to the ongoing legal process, and Nagendra has denied wrongdoing.
