Portfolios to 19 newly sworn-in Karnataka Ministers likely to be allocated on August 10
With the Monsoon Session of the legislature set to begin on August 13, the Congress government is likely to allocate portfolios to the 19 newly
With the Monsoon Session of the legislature set to begin on August 13, the Congress government is likely to allocate portfolios to the 19 newly sworn-in Ministers on Monday. While the new Ministers were sworn in amid confusion, revolt, and last-minute additions and deletions last Monday, the discussion on portfolio allocation is still under way with several Ministers asking for plum ones. Party sources said that portfolio allocation has become difficult owing to insistence by the Ministers on getting portfolios of their choice. “Among the unhappy Ministers is Food and Civil Supplies Minister K.H. Muniyappa, who belongs to the Dalit Left. He is adamant about getting Social Welfare Department. There is always a push and pull for the department between the Dalit Left and the Dalit Right groups,” sources said.
On Sunday evening, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar left for Delhi to meet the Congress Central leadership to hand over the list of possible portfolio allocation for the new Ministers. “The list is likely to be finalised by Monday and allocated to the Ministers,” government sources said. While the first set of 13 Ministers were sworn in along with the Chief Minister on June 3, it took the Congress two months to expand the Cabinet in which 19 Ministers were accommodated. The Chief Minister’s Delhi visit comes amid speculation over a few newly inducted Ministers to be dropped to accommodate disgruntled senior legislators. Over the last few days, Congress general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala has held parleys with senior lawmakers, who were not accommodated in the Cabinet, to assuage their sentiments.
However, multiple party sources said that it is difficult to drop the new Ministers, to accommodate a few disgruntled legislators. “There is very little elbow room in the Cabinet now. Even those who are already in the Cabinet may not like to sacrifice their hard-earned posts.” The Chief Minister also met former Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who is believed to be sulking over the denial of a Cabinet berth. Meanwhile, three lists before the Ministers were sworn in shows that there was some confusion, former Minister K.N. Rajanna said on Sunday while Urban Development Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah claimed that his father and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was not unhappy. The lone Cabinet berth that is currently vacant, for which the party is expected to appoint a woman, is likely to have a consensus candidate.
The BriefWire