BENGALURU: While reshuffling the Karnataka cabinet earlier in the day, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa retained Bengaluru Development Ministry while changing a few portfolios to make room for the newly-inducted ministers.
Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai got Law and Parliamentary affairs portfolio and JC Madhuswamy, who was holding law portfolio, was given medical education, Kannada and culture portfolios.
Minister Gopaliah was given horticulture and new minister Umesh Katti got his old portfolio -- food and civil supply. Shankar gets Muncipal administration portfolio
However, a few senior BJP leaders were given better portfolios.
Jagadish Shettar's portfolio remianed unchanged. Fisheries and ports and inlands, which was with minister Kota Shrinivas Poojari, has been given to S Angara, the new minister.
CC Patil gets small scale industries, information and public relations and new minister Aravind Limbavali, who was eying on Bengaluru development, gets forest. Anand Singh who was holding forest gets tourism.
New ministers CP Yogeshwar and R Shankar gets Minor irrigation and sports and youth services respectively.
Sources from BJP said it's a smart move by CM Yediyurappa to retain Bengaluru and energy as by alloting anyone else these portfolioes would have caused chaos within the party.
Seven legislators took oath as ministers in the Karnataka Assembly on January 13. Meanwhile Union Home Minister Amit Shah was in Karnataka on January 16 and 17.