Jolt to Congress as Patil quits post in K'taka

Hubballi: The first shock for the Congress after the loss in the Assembly polls, in which it saw its tally falling from 122 to 78 seats, came from Bagalkot with senior leader S.R. Patil, tendering his resignation from the post of KPCC working president. Source said what made Mr Patil quit was the dissidence in the Bagalkot district Congress unit and the party’s debacle in North Karnataka in the Assembly elections. He reve-aled his decision to mediapersons on Sunday though he sent his resignation to AICC president Rahul Gandhi on May 25 itself. His loyalists claimed that he had to take the decision after coming under pressure from the anti-Siddaramaiah camp for focusing only on Badami to ensure the victory of the former CM in the polls. Meanwhile, speaking to mediapersons here on Sunday, Mr Patil asserted that he had quit the top post owning moral responsibility for the defeat of a majority of Congress legislators in the region. He said he was not lobbying with any leader to seek a ministerial berth in the coalition government.