Karnataka CM effects cabinet reshuffle twice on a single day to mollify those upset

Aimed at mollifying his Cabinetcolleagues, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Mondayeffected a rejig, twice on a single day, by reallocatingportfolios to some upset ministers.

Earlier in the day, Yediyurappa had carried out aminor reshuffle, the third in less than a week, byreallocating portfolios to three ministers- J C Madhuswamy,Anand Singh and K Sudhakar.

With Minister Madhuswamy, who was in the afternoonassigned Tourism, Ecology and Environment departments,expressing his displeasure and amid reports that he mayresign, the Chief Minister exchanged his portfolio with MinorIrrigation Minister C P Yogeeshwara by late evening, effectinganother round of rejig.

The second round of reallocation today was carriedout to pacify Madhuswamy, who was said to have beencontemplating resigning as minister, after Republic Daycelebrations on Tuesday, official sources said.

Madhuswamy, who has been sulking ever since thereallocation of portfolios took place for the first time onJanuary 21, today openly expressed that he was ''upset'' as hisdepartments have been changed repeatedly in the last one weekand he would arrive at some decision after flag hoistingtomorrow, as his self-esteem was deeply hurt.

Sources close to the minister said with the ChiefMinister on Monday night reassigning him with the MinorIrrigation department that he was demanding, Madhuswamy isunlikely to take any drastic step.

Earlier he was given Medical Education, Kannada andCulture departments, when the portfolios were firstreallocated on January 21, while being divested of Law,Parliamentary Affairs, Legislation and Minor Irrigationportfolios.

On the very next day, January 22, when minor changeswere made and portfolios were reallocated once again, he wasgiven Haj and Wakf Department along with Medical Education,while he was relieved of Kannada and Culture.

Among other portfolios reallocated today is MinisterAnand Singh has been given the charge of InfrastructureDevelopment Department and Haj and Wakf.

He was on January 21 assigned Tourism, Environmentand Ecology departments, while being divested of the ForestDepartment.

Though there were reports that Singh too wasplanning to resign after the Tourism department was divestedfrom him, he denied it and said he will abide by the ChiefMinister's decision.

He further said he has even offered Yediyurappa togive his ministerial berth to some other aspirant and that hewas ready to serve as a normal legislator, as the ChiefMinister has fulfilled his other demands (Vijayanagaradistrict formation).

Today's reallocation was a happy note for HealthMinister K Sudhakar as has been reassigned with the MedicalEducation Department as an additional charge, which wasdivested from him last week.

Sudhakar had been sulking ever since he was divestedof the Medical Education portfolio, and had even warned thatseparating the two departments could impair the states Covid-19 vaccination effort.

Yediyurappa earlier too on January 22 had effectedchanges to the portfolios reallocated on the previous day,under pressure from Ministers MTB Nagaraj, K Gopalaiah and K CNarayana Gowda, who had openly expressed displeasure overdepartments assigned to them and did not attend the cabinetmeeting.

The rounds of portfolio reallocation has come afterYediyurappa expanded his 17-month old cabinet on January 13,by inducting seven ministers, after a long wait, which hadresulted in resentment among several ministerial aspirants.

Against the sanctioned strength of 34, theYediyurappa cabinet now has 33 members. PTI KSU BNWELCOME BNWELCOME

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