BENGALURU: Exactly a week after eight new ministers were inducted into the Congress-JD(S) coalition cabinet, Congress recommended portfolios for the new faces. AICC General Secretary and Karnataka In-charge KC Venugopal has written to Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy suggesting allocation of portfolios to all 22 ministers of the Congress with ministry reassignment approved by party President Rahul Gandhi.
Despite much resistance from Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, the Home portfolio has been reassigned to MB Patil. Likewise, DK Shivakumar has been forced to let go of medical education ministry which has now been reassigned to E Tukaram.
Parameshwara has been, however, given IT & BT, Law, Justice and Human rights and parliamentary affairs in addition to his existing Bengaluru development portfolio. DK Shivakumar has been given Kannada and culture ministry in place of medical education
Satish Jarkiholi will now be minister for Forest Ecology and environment while CS Shivalli will be in charge of municipalities and local bodies from the Urban department. MTB Nagaraj has been given Housing which was previously held by UT Khader.
PT Parameshwar Naik will be Muzrai minister along with additional responsibility of Skill development, entrepreneurship and livelihood department while Rahim Khan has been given Youth empowerment and sports which was previously held by Parameshwara.
Port and inland transport which was previously held by Ramesh Jarkiholi has been reassigned to RB Thimmapur along with Sugar department.
KPCC Chief Dinesh Gundu Rao, KC Venugopal and Siddaramaiah seem to have gotten their way with the allocations in the backdrop of senior ministers unwilling to let go of portfolios under them. The party has forced the ministers to let go of ministries but has managed to pacify them with additional ministries like in the case of Parameshwara.