BENGALURU: Two days after 29 ministers were inducted into CM Basavaraj Bommai’s cabinet, portfolio allocation will take place on Friday. The CM said that he will complete the process of ministry allocation on August 6. Although Bommai had claimed earlier that portfolio allocation will be his prerogative, all eyes are on the BJP’s central leadership which is set to have its imprint on the exercise.
“Allocation of portfolios will be completed tomorrow,” Bommai told reporters on Thursday when asked about the matter. With six new faces and 23 retainees from the BS Yediyurappa Cabinet, Bommai and the BJP have a Herculean task to divide heavyweight portfolios among seniors and party loyalists without irking the ‘newcomer ministers’. While senior-most ministers like Govind Karjol and KS Eshwarappa are looking to retain their former departments or trade up for bigger ministries, the party’s central leadership, nudged by the RSS, is also insisting that core cadre members should be given heavyweight ministries.
Debutante ministers like V Sunil Kumar and B C Nagesh, who have been associated with the Sangh for decades, are likely to get enviable posts while newcomers like M T B Nagaraj and Muniratna are set to be allotted minor responsibilities.The lone woman minister in the Cabinet, Shashikala Jolle, is likely to retain charge of Women and Child Development while ministers like Murugesh Nirani and former Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan are expected to be given charge of more than one ministry.