My father had no role to play in portfolio allocation: HDK

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday dismissed reports that his father and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda was continually “interfering” with the functioning of the newly formed coalition government.

He also denied speculation that Gowda had intervened to ensure that his sons - himself and his brother H D Revanna - landed plum portfolios such as finance and energy. Kumaraswamy, however, conceded that both he and his brother Revanna had sought the two portfolios.

When asked if senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar would be part of his Cabinet, a defensive Kumaraswamy said that his father had no role to play in the portfolio allocation.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy said, “I have read media reports that Deve Gowda devised a master plan to ensure that Revanna got the energy portfolio instead of Shivakumar . This is far from the truth. Congress general secretary K C Venugopal merely discussed the portfolio list with Deve Gowda after it was finalised by Rahul Gandhi. It’s false that my father interfered in the allocation of portfolios,” he said.

Kumaraswamy also conceded that he had insisted on the finance portfolio. “As chief minister, I wanted to hold the portfolio as I want to initiate several pro-people policies,” he said, adding that there were no differences of opinion between the leaders of the two parties over the matter. He also said that Cabinet berths would be allotted only after the expansion of the council of ministers, which is scheduled to be held on June 6.