The newly appointed ministers of Karnataka were finally allocated portfolios on Saturday by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. While the CM kept the key portfolios of finance, Bengaluru development and cabinet affairs, core BJP MLAs secured prime berths in Bommai’s cabinet.
As per the government notification, Sunil Kumar has been given the Energy and Power portfolio. B C Nagesh, who has become minister for the first time, has been allocated primary education, while Aaraga Jnanendra has been given the Home portfolio. KS Eshwarappa has been given the charge of Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Development. R Ashoka will be in charge of Revenue (except Muzarai). B Sriramulu has been given the charge of Transport & ST Welfare.
A week after taking over as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Bommai on Wednesday expanded his new cabinet by inducting 29 ministers. In the cabinet expansion exercise that was seen as the first challenge before the new Chief Minister, Bommai mostly retained the old faces.
Although Bommai had claimed that no MLA is pressurising him to allot a specific ministry and he is going to allocate cabinet berths at his discretion, party insiders had said that there is a hectic lobby for plum postings and Bommai has to coordinate with party high command and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.
On Tuesday, Bommai had relieved BJP legislators and experts who were appointed to key advisory positions by his predecessor BS Yediyurappa and his three deputy Chief Ministers.
Bommai was sworn-in on July 28, after the BJP high command decided to drop its aging party mascot in Karnataka, asking the 78-year-old B S Yediyurappa to step down from the post on July 26, exactly after he completed two years in the office.
