The Kumaraswamy resignation letter most people look for is the one H. D. Kumaraswamy gave to Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala on 23 July 2019. He submitted it shortly after losing the confidence motion in the Assembly. A second, forged letter went viral a day earlier, and the two often get mixed up online.
This guide separates the real letter from the fake one, covers his other resignations, and shows how a resignation letter like this is built. If you need your own letter for a job, you will find links to ready samples further down.
Kumaraswamy Resignation Letter: Quick Facts
| Detail | Answer |
| Who resigned | H. D. Kumaraswamy, then Chief Minister of Karnataka |
| Date of the real letter | 23 July 2019 |
| Addressed to | Governor Vajubhai Vala |
| Reason | The coalition lost the trust vote in the Assembly |
| Vote count | 99 votes for the coalition, 105 against |
| Governor’s response | Accepted the letter and asked him to stay on as CM until other arrangements were made |
| Fake letter | Circulated on 22 July 2019, denied by the Chief Minister’s Office |
What Happened on 23 July 2019
The trust vote had been dragging on for days. Politics in the state had been unravelling since 6 July, and ministers in his cabinet had resigned to make room for rebel MLAs. By Tuesday evening the numbers were clear, and the Speaker could not delay the vote any longer.
Kumaraswamy then drove to Raj Bhavan with Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara and other senior colleagues and handed over the letter. In it, he resigned as Chief Minister along with his cabinet and asked the Governor to accept it. He also thanked everyone for their cooperation during his tenure.
That last part is worth noticing. Even a letter written at the end of a bruising political fight kept to the usual structure: a clear statement, a request to accept it, and a line of thanks. Nothing else.
The Fake Kumaraswamy Resignation Letter of 22 July 2019
The day before the real letter, a different one spread across WhatsApp and TV channels. It carried a Karnataka government seal, bore his signature, was dated 22 July 2019 and was addressed to the Governor. The Chief Minister’s Office called it fake soon after it went viral.
It looked real for a simple reason. Channels showed it lying on his table in the Assembly, but his staff said a printout had only been handed to him to tell him the letter was circulating. Kumaraswamy told the House that his signature had been forged, and he alleged the BJP was behind it. That is his claim, not a finding of any court.
Real Letter vs Fake Letter
| Feature | Real letter | Fake letter |
| Date | 23 July 2019 | 22 July 2019 |
| Handed to | Governor at Raj Bhavan | Never submitted; circulated on social media |
| Reason given | Loss of the trust vote | “Personal reasons” |
| Status | Accepted by the Governor | Called forged by the CMO |
The lesson holds for any resignation letter. A letter only counts when it is signed, dated and delivered to the right person.
Other Times Kumaraswamy Resigned
Searches for “Kumaraswamy resignation letter” can point to several different events.
| Year | Resignation | Details |
| 2007 | Chief Minister | He refused to hand power to the BJP, then resigned to the Governor on 8 October 2007. |
| 2013 | Lok Sabha MP (Bangalore Rural) | His letter was dated 21 May 2013 and accepted from the same day. |
| 2019 | Chief Minister | Submitted to the Governor after losing the trust vote |
| 2024 | MLA, Channapatna | After winning the Mandya Lok Sabha seat, he gave his resignation to Speaker U T Khader. |
He is now Union Minister of Heavy Industries, in office since 10 June 2024. In 2026 the word “resignation” has also appeared next to his name for another reason: in August he demanded that Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge resign over alleged recruitment irregularities. That is a political demand, not a resignation letter by him.
Do Not Confuse It With M. P. Kumaraswamy’s Letter
There is another politician with the same surname. BJP MLA M. P. Kumaraswamy quit the party after being denied a ticket, writing to state president Nalin Kumar Kateel that he was stepping down from primary membership. That was a party resignation, not a post in government.
How a Chief Minister’s Resignation Letter Is Built
Political letters look grand, but the skeleton is the same as any other resignation. Here is the structure:
- Address the person who can accept it. For a Chief Minister that is the Governor. For an MLA it is the Speaker.
- State the post you are leaving in the first sentence.
- Ask for the resignation to be accepted.
- Say whether it covers others, such as the council of ministers.
- Add a short thank-you.
- Sign and date it.
Sample Resignation Letter to a Governor (Illustrative)
This is a model built from the structure above. It is not the original text.
To,
His Excellency the Governor of [State]
Raj Bhavan, [City]
Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]
Subject: Resignation from the post of Chief Minister
Your Excellency,
I hereby tender my resignation from the post of Chief Minister of [State], along with my Council of Ministers, and request you to kindly accept it.
I thank you and all colleagues for the cooperation extended during my tenure.
Yours sincerely,
[Name]
What This Teaches About Writing Your Own Resignation Letter
Most of us will never hand anything to a Governor, but the habits carry over to any job.
- Be direct: Say you are resigning in the first line. Our guide on how to write a resignation letter walks through this step by step.
- Use the right format: A clean layout makes HR’s job easy. See the resignation letter format page, or the Word version if you want to edit offline.
- Match the tone to the workplace: Government posts and large firms expect a formal resignation letter. Relaxed teams are fine with a short resignation letter or a simple resignation letter sample.
- Write a clear subject line, especially by email. Our resignation letter subject page has dozens of options.
- Keep reasons brief: If you prefer not to explain, the personal reason resignation letter format shows how.
- Keep proof: Save a signed copy or the sent email. The Kumaraswamy fake-letter row shows what can go wrong when paperwork is unclear.
Political Letter vs Workplace Letter
| Feature | Political resignation | Job resignation |
| Addressed to | Governor, Speaker or party chief | Manager or HR |
| Effective date | Usually immediate | Usually after a notice period |
| Length | Two or three lines | 100 to 200 words |
| Tone | Formal | Formal to friendly |
| Public record | Often published | Stays in your file |
For a normal job, start with the resign letter guide or the employment resignation letter page. You can also browse all resignation letters, free templates and examples on Resignation Letter.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Kumaraswamy submit his resignation letter?
On 23 July 2019, to Governor Vajubhai Vala, after the Karnataka government lost the trust vote.
Why did Kumaraswamy resign as Chief Minister?
His coalition lost the confidence motion in the Assembly, with 99 votes in favour and 105 against.
Was the resignation letter that went viral on 22 July 2019 real?
No. The Chief Minister’s Office called it fake, and Kumaraswamy said his signature was forged.
Who accepted Kumaraswamy’s resignation?
Governor Vajubhai Vala accepted it and asked him to continue as caretaker Chief Minister until a new arrangement was made.
Has Kumaraswamy resigned more than once?
Yes. He resigned as Chief Minister in 2007 and 2019, as an MP in 2013 and as an MLA in 2024.
Is M. P. Kumaraswamy the same person?
No. He is a different BJP MLA who quit the party after being denied a ticket.
Can I use this letter as a template for my job?
Use the structure, not the wording. Our resignation letter format and formal resignation letter pages give you job-ready text.
Conclusion
The Kumaraswamy resignation letter of 23 July 2019 was short, formal and addressed to the one person who could accept it. The fake letter a day earlier was a reminder that a resignation only counts once the right person receives it.
For your own exit, keep the same discipline: state it clearly, name the last day, thank people briefly and keep a copy. Start with the simple resignation letter sample or the resignation letter format, and you can have a letter ready in minutes.
