HD Kumaraswamy Finally Allocates Portfolios, Keeps Finance and Coveted Energy Dept For Himself

Bengaluru: Following days of intense permutations and combinations, Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy allocated portfolios to the JD(S)-Congress alliance leaders on Friday.

The CM retained the Finance ministry, while handed Home Affairs to his deputy G Parameshwara. Other than that, Kumaraswamy has also managed to rope in the Energy Department under him despite his brother HD Revanna and Congress’ key strategist DK Shivakumar wanting it.

Portfolio sharing had turned out to be a thorny issue between the Congress and JD(S) and was thrashed out after much haggling, with both parties announcing an agreement on June 1.

Revanna has been given Public Works Department, while DK Shivakumar gets Major and Medium Irrigation, and also Medical Education.

The portfolio allocation has been made in line with the power-sharing agreement.

Senior Congress leader RV Deshpande gets Revenue and KJ George Large and Medium Industries and IT&BT.

The lone woman minister, yesteryear Kannada actress-turned-MLC Jayamala has been given Women and Child development along with Kannada and Culture.

83-year-old MC Managuli, who is the senior-most minister in the coalition government, gets Horticulture.

Portfolios allocated to Congress Ministers are Krishna Byre Gowda (Rural Development, Law and Justice, Parliamentary Affairs), Shivashankara Reddy (Agriculture), Ramesh Jarkiholi (Municipalities and Local Bodies, Ports and Inland transport), Priyank Kharge (Social Welfare), UT Khader (Housing, City Corporations), Zameer Ahmed khan (Food and Civil Supplies, Minority Welfare and Wakf), Shivanand Patil (Health and Family Welfare), Venkataramanappa (Labour), Rajshekar Patil (Mines and Geology, Muzrai), Puttaranga Shetty (Backward Classes Welfare).

On the JD(S) side, the portfolios allotted are Bandeppa Kashampur (Cooperation), GT Deve Gowda (Higher Education), DC Thammanna (Transport);

SR Srinivas (Small Scale Industries), Venkatrao Nadagouda (Animal Husbandry and Fisheries), CS Puttaraju (Minor Irrigation), Sa Ra Mahesh (Tourism and Sericulture).

BSP's Mahesh has got Primary and Secondary Education, while R Shankar of KPJP has been given Forest and Environment.

Kumaraswamy has also retained departments including Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Information, Planning and Statistics among others.

Parameshwara has the additional charge of subjects related to Bengaluru city and Youth Empowerment.

(With PTI Inputs)