Portfolio allocation causes displeasure among some Ministers in Karnataka

The allocation of portfolios toseven new Ministers and the reshuffle of departments of someothers on Thursday by Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappahave not gone down well with a section of his cabinetcolleagues as they are upset over the ministries allocated tothem.

Yediyurappa, however, sought to brush it aside, sayingsome kind of displeasure was normal whenever portfolios werechanged and he has convinced them.

Senior Minister J C Madhuswamy skipped an event of theChief Minister in his home district Tumakuru, apparently upsetover being divested of three key departments, while M T BNagaraj openly said he does not want the Excise portfoliogiven to him.

A week after expanding his cabinet, Yediyurappa onThursday allocated portfolios to the seven new inductees andalso effected a reshuffle of the departments of someministers.

The chief minister relieved Madhuswamy of Law,Parliamentary Affairs, Legislation and Minor Irrigationportfolios and allocated Medical Education, Kannada andCulture departments.

A few Congress-JD(S) rebels-turned BJP ministersincluding Nagaraj, K Gopalaiah, K C Narayana Gowda, met atHealth Minister K Sudhakar's residence and said they will callon the Chief Minister to discuss portfolios allocated to them.

Yediyurappa said all the Ministers were at ease and therewas no resentment.

''I have called them (upset Ministers) and spoken to them,everyone is satisfied...I have spoken to everyone personally,''he said, cabinet expansion or portfolio allocation was not aneasy job as everyone cannot be satisfied.

''Within the limitations, I have shared theresponsibilities, let them work, after some days if they stillfind issues, let's consider changing then,'' he added.

The Chief Minister is said to have deputed Home ministerBasavaraj Bommai and Revenue Minister R Ashok to convince theMinisters.

Ashoka said he has spoken to Gopalaiah and Nagaraj andthings will be resolved soon, adding he and Bommai will talkto all of them once again.

''We are all with the Chief Minister and every one hastrust in him,'' he told reporters.

Madhuswamy rejected reports that he was planning toresign, but said he had requested the Chief Minister not tochange Minor Irrigation portfolio which was with him.

The Minister said he was not upset with all changes asthe Chief Minister had the prerogative to allocate work.

Openly expressing his displeasure, Nagaraj said there wasnothing for him to do in the Excise department and he hasinformed the Chief Minister that he doesn't want it.

Nagaraj said he was a Housing Minister in the previousJDS-Congress coalition government where there were programmesproviding houses to poor and developing slums.

''I resigned from the post and came out, I'm now given theExcise portfolio.(in this government). What is there to do inthe excise department?'' he asked.

Nagaraj said he wanted some portfolio where he ''can workfor the public and poor and bring a good name'' to the partyand the government.

Gopalaiah, divested of the Food, Civil Supplies andConsumers Affairs Department and made incharge of Horticultureand Sugar, said he will meet the Chief Minister and discussabout the change in portfolio.

''I had planned several things in the department...

everyone knows how I have been performing,'' he said.

Gopalaiah added that he along with Nagaraj, Sudhakar,Narayana Gowda will meet Yediyurappa and the party president.

''This has happened to four or five of us, we had met atSudhakar's residence. We will sit with the Chief Minister andask what is our fault.'' While Sudhakar holds the Health department, he wasrelieved of Medical Education portfolio.

Narayana Gowda has been given Youth Empowerment, Sports,Haj and Wakf Departments in place of Municipal Administration,Horticulture and Sericulture.

Ending a long wait, Yediyurappa had expanded his 17-month old cabinet on January 13, inducting seven ministers,but the exercise led to resentment with several aspirantsexpressing reservations over not being included in theministry.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)