Bengaluru
oi-PTI
With portfolios yet to be allocated to newly inducted Karnataka ministers, a week after the cabinet expansion, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar indicated on Monday that it would be done at the earliest. According to official sources, portfolio allocation is most likely to be done on Tuesday.
“I discussed (with the high command) last evening and have come (from Delhi),” Shivakumar told reporters here, while indicating that portfolio allocations to be “cleared” at the earliest.
Karnataka CM D K Shivakumar expects portfolios for 19 recently inducted ministers to be allocated soon, likely Tuesday, after discussions with the Congress high command. Potential cabinet reshuffle plans are also being considered.
Asked about making space for at least two more legislators in the cabinet, he said, “For all those things including giving ministerial posts, the Assembly session has to end. No discussion on that now. Only portfolio allocation is happening now, and it will be done before the session.”
The monsoon session of the Karnataka legislature will be held from August 13 to 27. Shivakumar, had earlier met AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and party General Secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal in the national capital and held discussions.
He discussed with the Congress high command regarding the allocation of portfolios to 19 new ministers, who were inducted into the Cabinet on August 3, party sources said.
Discussions are also likely to have taken place about disgruntlement within the party by legislators who were ministerial aspirants, especially by senior leaders, who were left out during the cabinet expansion.
Meanwhile, there are intense speculations that Shivakumar is likely to have held discussions regarding a minor reshuffle of his Cabinet by replacing a couple of incumbents in order to make room for miffed lawmakers who are not dialing down on their demand for ministerial berths, according to sources.
With no women’s representation in his cabinet, pressure is mounting on the CM to fill up one vacant berth with a woman. Over the last few days, Shivakumar, KPCC President B K Hariprasad, AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, and few ministers have reached out to various legislators, who did not make it to the the ministry, as part of an effort to pacify them.
Two months after assuming charge as chief minister, Shivakumar expanded his Cabinet on August 3, by inducting 19 ministers, bringing the total strength to 33. One berth remains vacant.
