After much uncertainty over who will get what portfolio, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah decided to leave the major existing portfolios with senior Ministers, except that of U.T. Khader and R. Roshan Baig.
Among the newly-inducted Ministers, Kagodu Thimmappa has been allocated Revenue and K.R. Ramesh Kumar is the new Health and Family Welfare Minister. Basavaraj Rayaraddi is the new Higher Education Minister, while Tanvir Sait is the Minister for Primary and Secondary Education.
Now relieved of Health and Family Welfare, Mr. Khader has been allocated Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department. Mr. Baig, who lost Infrastructure, and Information and Publicity portfolios, has been allocated Urban Development, excluding subjects pertaining to Bengaluru. He has retained Haj and Wakf.
While retaining Law, Human Rights and Parliamentary Affairs, T.B. Jayachandra was relieved of Higher Education, which is allocated now to Mr. Rayaraddi. However, Mr. Jayachandra is compensated with Minor Irrigation.
Veteran Minister R.V. Deshpande, who is holding Large and Medium Industries portfolio, was relieved of the Tourism Department. But he has been rewarded with the Infrastructure portfolio.
Priyank gets tourism
First-time MLA and Minister of State Priyank Kharge has been appointed as the new Tourism and IT/BT Minister.
Allocation of portfolios of the 33 members in the Congress Ministry in the State has been delayed, apparently due to claims by senior Ministers over key departments.
The new Cabinet has also two interesting portfolio swaps within the families. S.S. Mallikarjun has been allocated Horticulture and Agriculture Marketing, portfolios held by his father Shamanur Shivashankarappa before the Cabinet reshuffle. Similarly, another Cabinet Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi has been allocated Small Scale Industries, the portfolio held by his brother Satish Jarkiholi.
M.R. Seetharam has been allocated Planning and Statistics, Science and Technology, while Santosh Lad has bagged Labour Department. Another Cabinet Minister H.Y. Meti was given Excise.
Ministers of State
Besides Primary and Secondary Education, Mr. Sait has been allocated Minority Welfare Department. Rudrappa Lamani has been allocated Textile and Muzrai, while Eshwar B. Khandre received Municipalities and Local Bodies (CMCs, TMC, TPs) and Department of Public Enterprises.
Pramod Madhwaraj has been given Youth Services Department, and Fisheries, which was held by Abhayachandra Jain, his colleague in the Legislative Assembly from the coastal region.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has retained Housing, and Information and Publicity portfolios.
