BENGALURU: After a long wait of one week since they took oath, 17 ministers of Karnataka cabinet were finally allotted their portfolios on Monday.
Despite his desperate attempt to resist the appointment of Deputy Chief Ministers, BS Yediyurappa now has not one but three Deputies including first time minister Dr CN Ashwathnarayana and Laxman Savadi who lost the Athani seat in the 2018 assembly elections. Popular SC leader and BS Yediyurappa's close aide Govind Karjol has also been appointed as deputy chief minister.
Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and former Deputy Chief Ministers KS Eshwarappa and R Ashoka have been given plump portfolios of Large and medium scale industries, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Revenue department respectively as if to mask their demotion in the scheme of things.
Seeramulu, whose name was doing the rounds for Deputy Chief Minister post during the Lok Sabha polls, has been allotted Health and Family welfare ministry. Senior BJP ministers Suresh Kumar, V Somanna, Basavraj Bommai have been allocated Primary and secondary education, Housing and Home ministries respectively.
“We were not in a position to even put across our preference. We only have to accept what has been allotted to us,” said a minister in the Yediyurappa government, hours before portfolios were allocated.
Sriramulu, whose name was doing the rounds for DyCM’s post during the Lok Sabha elections, was allotted Health and Family Welfare. While S Suresh Kumar was allocated Primary and Secondary Education, V Somanna got Housing, and Basavaraj Bommai was allotted Home. CT Ravi got Tourism with additional charge of Kannada and Culture. JC Madhuswamy will be Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, with additional charge of Minor Irrigation.
CT Ravi will be minister for Tourism with an additional charge of Kannada and culture. JC Madhuswamy will be Law and parliamentary affairs minister with an additional charge of Minor irrigation. MLC Kota Srinivas Poojari will once again be minister for Muzrai department while CC Patil has been allocated Mines and Geology.
H Nagesh, an independent MLA turned minister who has switched sides from Congress has been made minister for Excise. The lone woman minister, Shashikala Jolle, will be women and child development minister while Prabhu Chauhan has been allocated the Animal Husbandry ministry. Apart from being Deputy Chief Minister, Govind Karjol will be minister for PWD and Social welfare, Dr AshwathNarayana will be minister for Higher Education, IT& BT, Science and Technology and Laxman Savadi will be transport minister.
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“The central leadership is propping up new faces for important roles. Whether one looks at it as them attempting to stamp their authority over the state leadership or as the new order of party functioning, is subjective,” said a BJP leader.
BS Yeddyurappa: Chief Minister All unallocated portfolios
Govind M Karjol, Deputy Chief Minister: Public Works Department, Additional charge Social Welfare Department
Dr. Ashwath Narayan CN, Deputy Chief Minister: Higher Education, IT & BT, Science and Technology
Laxman Sangappa Savadi, Deputy Chief Minister: Transport
CT Ravi: Tourism, Additional charge Kannada and Culture
Basavaraj Bommai: Home Department excluding Intelligence wing
Kota Shrinivas Poojari: Muzrai from Revenue Department, Fisheries, Ports and Inland Transport
JC Madhu Swamy: Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Legislation, Additional Charge of Minor Irrigation from Water resources department
Chandrakantagouda Channappagouda Patil: Mines and Geology from Commerce and Industries Department
H Nagesh: Excise
Prabhu Chauhan: Animal Husbandry
Smt. Jolle Shashikala Annasaheb: Women and Child Development, Empowerment of differently Abled and Senior Citizens
KS Eshwarappa: Rural Development and Panchayat Raj
R Ashoka: Revenue Department excluding Muzrai
Jagadish Shettar: Large & Medium Scale Industries excluding Sugar
B Sreeramulu: Health & Family Welfare excluding Medical Education
S Suresh Kumar: Primary & Secondary Education and Sakala
V Somanna: Housing