18 OF 29 K’TAKA MINISTERS RETAIN PORTFOLIOS; BSY’S CABINET-RANK FACILITIES REMAIN

BENGALURU: Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday allocated portfolios to 29 newly inducted cabinet ministers, with 18 of them retaining the ministries they had in the previous BS Yediyurappa government.

The Bommai government has also issued an order, providing Yediyurappa all facilities on par with Cabinet-rank ministers. This will be applicable until the new CM is in office, an official notification from the protocol wing of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms said.

While the CM kept the key portfolios of finance, Bengaluru development and cabinet affairs, debutant ministers secured plum portfolios — Araga Jnanendra (home), V Sunil Kumar (energy, Kannada and culture) and BC Nagesh (primary and secondary education, and Sakala department).

Significantly, defectors from the Congress and the Janata Dal Secular in 2019, have retained their portfolios — K Sudhakar (health and family welfare), BC Patil (agriculture), ST Somashekar (cooperation), Byrati Basavaraj (urban development), K Gopalaiah (excise), and Shivaram Hebbar (labour).

The portfolio allocation has also triggered disgruntlement, with ministers Anand Singh and Nagaraju expressing displeasure. “I didn’t ask for this portfolio. Whatever request I made at the party forum has not been considered...” Nagaraju, too, said: “Previous CM BSY and present CM Basavaraj Bommai have not kept their word...”

Downplaying the disgruntlement among his cabinet colleagues, the CM said he will speak to them and sort out the issue. “Naturally everyone will have desire (for certain ministries)...everyone can’t get the portfolio they ask for.”