Ending three days of uncertainty, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar has finally allocated portfolios to his ministers. Sources, however, said the portfolio allocation was done only on a temporary basis, keeping in mind the Monsoon Session of the State Legislature starting on July 19.
In view of the discontentment among some sections in the party, there would be a reshuffle once the session ends, they added. Shettar, who failed to evolve a consensus on portfolio allocation, had to seek the party high command’s intervention.
Following its clearance, Shettar sent the list of ministers and their portfolios to the Governor, who approved it on Sunday afternoon. According to sources, the BJP high command rushed through the exercise to avoid embarrassment at the hands of Opposition parties in the House.
Non-allocation of portfolios would have pushed Shettar to face a ‘no-confidence’ motion. The present allocation has not gone down well with the anti-Yeddyurappa camp as they were eying plum portfolios like Industries, Energy and Water Resources presently held by the BSY camp.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa has been successful in getting two portfolios though his demand for Finance was overlooked. On the other hand, Yeddyurappa’s confidante Shobha Karandlaje was divested of the Food and Civil Supplies portfolio, which will now be handled by D N Jeevaraj.