Trouble appears far from over for Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, with discontent brewing within his newly sworn-in Cabinet over portfolio allocations. Even as the Congress high command managed to douse one fire by persuading senior leader Ramalinga Reddy to withdraw his resignation, fresh turbulence seems to be building, this time around Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda.
Gowda, who was assigned the Bengaluru Development portfolio, has reportedly not taken charge yet, unhappy that key agencies, the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) and Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA), remain under Shivakumar’s control.
Sources said Gowda has conveyed his concerns to the Congress high command, arguing that without BDA and BMRDA, the portfolio lacks authority and scope for meaningful delivery.
While he oversees the Greater Bengaluru Development portfolio, including five proposed city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), along with agencies such as BWSSB and BMRCL, he is said to be dissatisfied with the absence of core urban planning bodies.
The minister has reportedly reached Delhi to seek clarity from the party leadership and is expected to push either for the inclusion of BDA and BMRDA under his department or a change in portfolio altogether.
Sources said Gowda has spoken to Rahul Gandhi and also raised the matter with AICC Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala.
The development comes barely days after Ramalinga Reddy triggered embarrassment for the Congress leadership by resigning on June 5, just two days after taking oath, claiming he had been promised the Bengaluru Development portfolio.
Reddy was eventually persuaded to stay after intervention from the high command and was assured that his concerns would be addressed during a future Cabinet expansion.
Adding to Shivakumar’s worries, Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad has also flown to Delhi amid intense lobbying for ministerial berths. With 21 Cabinet vacancies still to be filled after Shivakumar and 13 ministers took oath last week, aspirants have stepped up efforts to secure positions in the next round of expansion.
Sources within the Congress suggested Gowda’s discomfort may also stem from the political baggage he carries. As Revenue Minister in the previous Siddaramaiah government, Gowda earned both praise and resistance for cracking down on illegal encroachments on government land and streamlining transfers in the department, reforms that reportedly upset several legislators across party lines.
For Shivakumar, who is already balancing competing ambitions within the Congress, the growing dissatisfaction over portfolios threatens to turn Cabinet management into an early political test, with unhappy ministers increasingly looking to Delhi for resolution.
