BENGALURU: A day after the portfolio allocations saw JD(S) becoming the “big brother” in the coalition government with
Congress party, chief minister HD
Kumaraswamy claimed there is no dismay over portfolio sharing between the two parties.
Speaking to the media on Saturday at Vidhana Soudha, Kumaraswamy admitted that both, his brother and JD(S) MLA H D Revanna and
Congress troubleshooter D K Shivakumar were keen on the Energy portfolio.
“However, at the end of the day, with a certain national political consideration, the Congress high command and the JD(S) took a decision to divide the portfolios in a certain manner. There is no dismay between the two parties,” he said.
It was widely reported that Shivakumar was unhappy with the energy portfolio being handed over to the JD(S) as he was keen on the portfolio.
However, speculations were that Revanna also had eyed the same portfolio for himself and hence pressurised the JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda and his brother Kumaraswamy to ensure the party retains it.
Kumaraswamy on Saturday clarified that neither his father nor he used pressure tactics in portfolio allocations.
“I admit that we sought for the finance portfolio to be retained by me, as being the CM and having promised several schemes for the state I needed to have control over the finances. But barring that portfolio, there was no tug-of-war for any other portfolio. The portfolio divisions were deliberated and decided between both us and the Congress high command, in consultation with AICC president
Rahul Gandhi,” said Kumaraswamy.
The CM dismissed all speculations and reports that Deve Gowda had interfered in the portfolio allocation on behalf of his brother and himself.
File photo