Dissatisfaction has again erupted in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party as Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa has effected a major reshuffle of ministerial portfolios on Thursday while allocating portfolios to the seven newly inducted ministers.
Among the new ministers, who were inducted on January 13, Umesh Katti has been given food and civil supplies which was hitherto held by Mr. Gopalaiah who migrated to the BJP from the JD (S). Similarly, Mr. Murugesh Nirani has been given Mines and Geology portfolio which was held by Mr. C. C. Patil while Arvind Limbavali has been given forest department which was earlier held by Mr. Anand Singh.
Mr. R. Shankar has been given Municipal Administration and Sericulture departments while Angara has got Fisheries and Ports portfolio. Mr. C. P. Yogeshwar has got Minor Irrigation department while Mr. MTB Nagaraju, who was expecting a plum portfolio like Housing, has instead been given excise portfolio.
The big surprise in the Thursday’s ministerial reshuffle is that prominent minister J. C. Madhuswamy, who had become voice of the government in the legislature sessions, has been divested of Law and Parliamentary Affairs as well as the Minor Irrigation Departments. He has now been given Medical Education and Kannada & Culture Departments. The Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department has now been given to Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Similarly Mr. K. C. Narayana Gowda, who had earlier held Horticulture and Sericulture Departments, has to be now satisfied with Youth Empowerment and Sports and Haj & Wakfs Department.
In all, the chief minister has effected changes in portfolios of 18 members including himself.
It did not take much time for the dissatisfaction to come out as Mr. Nagaraj publicly stated that the Excise Department was not a portfolio of his choice and that he wanted some portfolio which would help in serving poor people. Several ministers, who have lost major portfolios, met at the residence of Mr. Sudhakar for sometime.
