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Ministry expansion tussle taking toll on administration

Last Updated 29 May 2018, 19:05 IST

The stalemate over sharing of key portfolios, especially finance, among the coalition partners – the JD(S) and the Congress -- continued on Tuesday.

Hectic deliberations between the leaders of the two parties have been on since May 19, after the then chief minister B S Yeddyurappa resigned as he did not have the numbers to prove his majority on the floor of the House.

The delay in expansion of the Council of Ministers seems to be taking a toll on the administration. Review of departments have not taken place since the model code of conduct came into force for the Assembly polls in April this year. Chief Minister’s H D Kumaraswamy and his deputy G Parameshwara of the Congress are the only two members in the Cabinet.

On Tuesday, Kumaraswamy is said to have expressed his unhappiness among his close associates on the “stubbornness” shown by the Congress on sharing of portfolios. He is said to have reminded them that it was the Congress that had extended its “unconditional support” to his party.

Kumaraswamy remained confined to his J P Nagar residence through Tuesday morning delaying the start of his first “Janata Darshan” by over three hours. The Congress has been maintaining that it being the majority partner be given portfolios such as finance, public works, energy and water resources.

However, on record, both Kumaraswamy and Parameshwara maintained that all is well in the alliance and it was a matter of time before the portfolio allocation issue is sorted out. “All portfolios will be allotted in one go”, Parameshwara said.

Meanwhile, lobbying for ministerial berths in the Congress by newly elected legislators continued on Tuesday. The residence of Parameshwara, who is also the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, in Sadashivanagar witnessed a steady stream of visitors.

Senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar denied that there was tussle between JD(S) leader H D Revanna and himself over the Energy portfolio. “Its only a media creation,” he added.

Chamrajpet MLA B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan (Congress), who was one of the first to visit Parameshwara’s residence, said he had come to wish the party president. “If I wanted to lobby for a ministerial post I would have gone to New Delhi. I have won on the Congress ticket and hence am visiting my leader. Can I go to Yeddyurappa’s place?,” he asked.

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(Published 29 May 2018, 17:05 IST)

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