After Karnataka CM Yediyurappa allocates portfolios, BJP MLAs now unhappy with berths

Amid simmering discontentment among the BJP legislators in Karnataka, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday allocated portfolios to the seven new inductees and also effected a reshufle of the departments of some ministers. However, now a the inducted ones are miffed because of the portfolios that have been allotted to them. This comes even as Chief Minister  Yediyurappa assured that the issue over portfolio allocation has been sorted out. “They were little upset and I have spoken to all of them. Now, there is no dissatisfaction or differences,” he told reporters. 

Among the new Ministers, Umesh Katti has been given the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs while S Angara has been given Fisheries, Ports and Inland Transport. Murugesh Nirani will be the Mines and Geology minister and Arvind Limbavali gets Forest Department, according to an official gazette notification issued in this regard with the consent of the Governor. Among the others, R Shankar gets Municipal Administration and Sericulture portfolio while MTB Nagaraj would be the Excise Minister and C P Yogeshwar in charge of Minor Irrigation department.

In what is being termed as a smart move, the Chief Minister has kept key portfolios - the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), Cabinet Affairs, Finance, Bangalore Development, Energy, Intelligence, Planning, Programme Monitoring Statistics, Infrastructure Development - with himself.

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Cabinet reshuffle 

In a significant reshuffle, JC Madhuswamy has been divested of Law, Parliamentary Affairs, Legislation and Minor Irrigation portfolios and allocated Medical Education, Kannada and Culture departments. Madhuswamy was the key minister who used to put up a strong defence of the government in the Assembly. The Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Legislation department has been given to Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai as an additional portfolio. The Forest Department has been taken back from Anand Singh, who has now been given the Tourism portfolio in addition to Environment and Ecology; while the responsibility of the Medical Education Department has been taken back from Health and Family Welfare Minister K Sudhakar. CC Patil, who earlier held the Mines and Geology portfolio has now been given charge of Small Scale Industries and Information and Public Relations department also. Minister Kota Srinivas Poojari has been relieved from the responsibility of Fisheries, Ports and Inland Transport Department and will now have Muzrai and Backward Classes Welfare Department. While Haj and Wakf Department has been taken back from Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chauhan; Labour Minister A Shivaram Hebbar has been divested of the Sugar department. K Gopalaiah, who has been divested of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs Department, has now been made incharge of Horticulture and Sugar departments and KC Narayana Gowda has been given Youth Empowerment, Sports, Haj and Wakf Departments, while Municipal Administration, Horticulture and Sericulture departments have been taken back from him.

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Discontentment in BJP Karnataka camp

BJP leaders have made a massive allegation against Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, and Congress has demanded a probe in the matter. After a long wait, seven legislators namely - MTB Nagaraj, R Shankar, CP Yogeshwar, Umesh Katti, Arvind Limbavali, Murugesh Nirani, S Angara - took oath as BJP high-command finally gave a nod to Yediruppa's much-awaited cabinet expansion. The expansion was significant as many leaders including those who jumped ship from Congress and JDS, resulting in the fall of previous Kumaraswamy government, were waiting to get a berth.

However, disgruntled BJP leaders who weren't included spoke out against the CM openly with senior BJP leader Basanagouda R Patil claiming that only those who blackmailed the CM "with a CD" were inducted. Others who expressed their grievances openly are - Mysore MLA Ramadoss, chief whip in Karnataka Assembly Sunil Kumar Karkala, Ron MLA Kalakappa Bandi and MLA from Belgaum (South) Abhay Patil.

Senior BJP leader Basanagouda R Patil alleged, "Yediyurappa only considered and appointed those who blackmailed him with a CD and paid huge money to him. Two are been made ministers and one person has been made political secretary after all three used the CD to blackmail him." 

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Shah: "BJP govt will be re-elected"

Stifling all dissent against the Yediyurappa government, ex-BJP chief Amit Shah on his visit to Bengaluru, assured that the current BJP government will complete its remaining term and be re-elected. "I keep reading Congress' many remarks on the Karnataka government, misleading the people. I wish to say that BJP government will complete its full term and then it will get re-elected for 5 years. Those who are making hurdles, I wish to say that you will get nothing from opining on BJP. Both Centre and state government are committed for Karnataka's development," he said while addressing a Police event in Benagaluru.

Lauding Karnataka's COVID-19 fight, he added, "14.9 lakh vaccines have been recieved in Karnataka and I have full confidence that phase-1 of vaccination will be completed successfully under Yeddiyurappa ji's leadership. I have no doubt in saying that under Yeddiyurappa's leadership, the fight against COVID-19 in Karnataka has been fought well. I wish to congratulate Karnataka police for a great imposition of lockdown."

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