JOIN US The Jagadish Shettar Cabinet is likely to witness a minor reallocation of portfolios this week.
“The reallocation of portfolios will take place within the next few days,” Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa told Deccan Herald.
The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj portfolio, which is one of the two portfolios held by Eshwarappa is likely to be allotted to Minor Irrigation Minister Govinda Karjol during the reallocation. Eshwarappa said he had agreed to divest himself of RDPR and hold the Revenue portfolio.
“We will be facing elections in eight months. One cannot be burdened with two major portfolios. There needs to be equitable distribution of work,” he said. Several ministers in the Shettar Cabinet including Govind Karjol, Balachandra Jarikiholi, Anand Asnotikar and Varthur Prakash had expressed unhappiness over the ministries allotted to them and had sought plum portfolios instead.
Municipal Administration Minister Jarikiholi is said to be keen on the Transport portfolio, held by Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka. However, it is learnt that Ashoka does not want to be divested of Transport but does not mind shunning the Home portfolio. In a bid to end the portfolio imbroglio in BJP during the change in leadership last month, the party central leadership had said that the present arrangement was temporary and reallocation of porfolios could be taken up in August.
The BJP will also be making appointments to various boards and corporations to pacify disappointed legislators who could not make it to the Cabinet, sources said. State BJP office-bearers, party district presidents and general secretaries are meeting on Monday to discuss, preparations for the Assembly polls, amongst other things. The chief minister will inaugurate the meeting at 11 am at Jagannath Bhavan in Malleswaram. The meeting will also discuss the tour of BJP leaders to drought-hit districts in the State scheduled to commence from Tumkur on Tuesday.