The Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) chairman K Marigowda quit on Wednesday, amid a row over irregularities in allotment of sites to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi B M.  He submitted his resignation from the post to the Urban Development Department Secretary.

“I have resigned following directions from the CM. Also, as I had health issues, I have resigned...There was no pressure on me, as I had health issues I have resigned,” Marigowda, who is considered close to Siddaramaiah, told reporters here.

 Responding to a question, he said, “Probe is on (in MUDA case allegedly involving CM) and it will continue. It will be known from the probe whether there were any irregularities.”

Siddaramaiah is facing the Lokayukta and Enforcement Directorate(ED)probes into alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the MUDA. Siddaramaiah’s wife, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, Devaraju from whom Mallikarjuna Swamy purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi and others are named as other accused in the case by Lokayukta.

Stating that Siddaramaiah is his leader and he has been with him for 40 years, Marigowda said, “He made me taluk and zilla panchayat president, has never asked to do illegal things, even on the MUDA issue.”

Asked whether he was resigning to “save” the CM, he said, “No. I’m resigning on personal grounds. I had a stroke twice. I felt I cannot continue, so I have resigned.” To a question whether there was pressure on him to quit from Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh, Marigowda said, “it is far from the truth.” On September 27, Congress workers and CM’s supporters, who had gathered in large numbers in a show of support to Siddaramaiah at the Mysuru airport on his arrival there, tried to gherao Marigowda alleging that he was responsible for the CM’s “plight.”  Despite his attempts to explain, they did not listen to him and asked him to go back, following which he left the scene.

After the Mysuru Urban Development Authority(MUDA) chairman stepped down from his post on Wednesday, the BJP demanded that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also resign immediately as he is “deeply embroiled” in the land “scam”.

Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) chairman K Marigowda resigned from his post amid the row over alleged irregularities in allotment of sites to Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi B M.

“MUDA chairman has tendered his resignation. I call upon Siddaramaiah that if you have the slightest morality left in you, you should step down immediately. You should not wait for today’s sunset,” BJP national spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra said at a press conference here. He said Marigowda’s resignation and Siddaramaiah’s wife “offering” to return the MUDA sites allocated to her make it clear that the chief minister is “deeply involved in the scam from head to toe”.

“There is no doubt about it,” Patra said.

Earlier in the day, Marigowda submitted his resignation to the Urban Development Department secretary. “I have resigned following directions from the CM. Also, as I had health issues, I have resigned... There was no pressure on me, as I had health issues I have resigned,” Marigowda told reporters in Bengaluru.