Two-time MLA M. Krishnappa, who is in real estate business, will be sworn in as Minister on Monday in Raj Bhavan at 4 p.m., sources in the Chief Minister’s office told The Hindu .
Sources also indicated that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has proposed to promote Vinay R. Kulkarni and A. Manju, both Ministers of State rank, as Cabinet rank Ministers.
Mr. Krishnappa, a science graduate from Bangalore University, failed to make it to the Ministry at the last minute during the previous reshuffle that was effected on June 19, in which 13 legislators were inducted.
Angry over denial of ministerial berth, the supporters of Mr. Krishnappa had then stormed into the Vijayanagar Metro Station and created a ruckus. Congress councillors of Vijayanagar and Govindarajanagar wards and members of Congress Block Committee had also threatened to resign if the Chief Minister did not give ministerial berth to Mr. Krishnappa. The two-time MLA, who also served as the MLC during 2000-06, belongs to the dominant Vokkaliga community. Presently, there are four Ministers belonging to the Vokkaliga community and they are D.K. Shivakumar, T.B. Jayachandra, Krishna Byre Gowda, and A. Manju.
Mr. Krishnappa would come in the place of M.H. Ambareesh, who was dropped during the last reshuffle. Sources said Mr. Krishnappa is likely to get the Housing portfolio, which is presently with the Chief Minister.
Sources in the party said during the Chief Minister’s visit to New Delhi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi directed him to induct Mr. Krishnappa into the ministry.
Mr. Krishnappa’s son, Priyakrishna, is also an MLA and represents the neighbouring Govindarajanagar constituency in Bengaluru city.
Two vacanciesPresently, there are two vacancies in the 34-member Council of Ministry. Even after Mr. Krishnappa’s induction, the ministry will be left with one vacant berth. This vacancy arose following the resignation of the then Minister K.J. George.
